Best Time to Drive from SJC to Berkeley

Right now (11:22 am PDT): about 48 minutes via I-880 North, usually 54 at this time.

Only 49% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from SJC to Berkeley by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	53	63	57	52	52	51	52	55	65	66	67	62	52	46	44
Tue	44	47	55	70	63	54	51	50	51	55	64	74	77	70	61	50	44
Wed	44	47	54	69	60	54	51	51	52	57	66	75	77	71	61	50	44
Thu	44	47	54	71	63	53	51	51	52	56	70	77	79	72	61	51	44
Fri	44	46	50	57	52	50	51	52	53	59	69	73	69	64	56	49	44
Sat	44	46	46	47	47	49	52	54	53	55	56	56	55	53	51	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	52	51	51	52	51	50	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 45-mile drive from SJC to Berkeley (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 79 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 52 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (57 minutes).

About 39 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (10 to 19 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) to central Berkeley (Martin Luther King Junior Way) along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from SJC to Berkeley?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 79 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from SJC to Berkeley?

The 45-mile drive usually takes 44 to 79 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 52 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from SJC to Berkeley?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 79 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (37 miles) · I-980 East in Bay Area (1.8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Berkeley to SJC (return trip) · SJC to SFO · SJC to OAK · SJC to San Francisco · SJC to Oakland · SJC to Palo Alto · SJC to Fremont · SJC to Walnut Creek · SJC to San Mateo · SJC to Hayward · SJC to Mountain View · SJC to Pleasanton

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	53	63	57	52	52	51	52	55	65	66	67	62	52	46	44
Tue	44	47	55	70	63	54	51	50	51	55	64	74	77	70	61	50	44
Wed	44	47	54	69	60	54	51	51	52	57	66	75	77	71	61	50	44
Thu	44	47	54	71	63	53	51	51	52	56	70	77	79	72	61	51	44
Fri	44	46	50	57	52	50	51	52	53	59	69	73	69	64	56	49	44
Sat	44	46	46	47	47	49	52	54	53	55	56	56	55	53	51	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	52	51	51	52	51	50	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	53	63	57	52	52	51	52	55	65	66	67	62	52	46	44
Tue	44	47	55	70	63	54	51	50	51	55	64	74	77	70	61	50	44
Wed	44	47	54	69	60	54	51	51	52	57	66	75	77	71	61	50	44
Thu	44	47	54	71	63	53	51	51	52	56	70	77	79	72	61	51	44
Fri	44	46	50	57	52	50	51	52	53	59	69	73	69	64	56	49	44
Sat	44	46	46	47	47	49	52	54	53	55	56	56	55	53	51	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	52	51	51	52	51	50	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	53	63	57	52	52	51	52	55	65	66	67	62	52	46	44
Tue	44	47	55	70	63	54	51	50	51	55	64	74	77	70	61	50	44
Wed	44	47	54	69	60	54	51	51	52	57	66	75	77	71	61	50	44
Thu	44	47	54	71	63	53	51	51	52	56	70	77	79	72	61	51	44
Fri	44	46	50	57	52	50	51	52	53	59	69	73	69	64	56	49	44
Sat	44	46	46	47	47	49	52	54	53	55	56	56	55	53	51	49	45
Sun	44	44	44	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	52	51	51	52	51	50	45