Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from South San Francisco to Santa Cruz
Right now (5:20 pm PST): about 88 minutes via US-101 South and SR-17 South and SR-85 South, usually 74 at this time.
Only 78% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 57 | 58 | 62 | 70 | 70 | 64 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 64 | 74 | 80 | 80 | 68 | 62 | 60 | 58 |
| Tue | 57 | 58 | 62 | 75 | 76 | 67 | 65 | 63 | 62 | 65 | 83 | 94 | 98 | 80 | 65 | 59 | 58 |
| Wed | 57 | 58 | 62 | 76 | 74 | 66 | 64 | 63 | 62 | 66 | 84 | 100 | 99 | 80 | 65 | 60 | 58 |
| Thu | 57 | 58 | 62 | 74 | 74 | 66 | 64 | 62 | 63 | 67 | 85 | 100 | 97 | 82 | 68 | 61 | 58 |
| Fri | 57 | 58 | 61 | 64 | 64 | 62 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 67 | 78 | 81 | 76 | 69 | 65 | 61 | 58 |
| Sat | 57 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 63 | 64 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 60 | 60 | 58 |
| Sun | 57 | 57 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 62 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 60 | 58 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 63-mile drive from South San Francisco to Santa Cruz (via US-101 South and SR-17 South and SR-85 South) usually takes as little as 57 minutes and up to 103 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (65 minutes).
About 59 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central South San Francisco to central Santa Cruz 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 South San Francisco to Santa Cruz?
On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 57 minutes then, versus up to 103 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from South San Francisco to Santa Cruz?
The 63-mile drive usually takes 57 to 103 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from South San Francisco to Santa Cruz?
Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 103 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
US-101 South in Bay Area (26 miles) · SR-17 South in Bay Area (20 miles) · SR-85 South in Bay Area (13 miles)
Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow
More drives
Santa Cruz to South San Francisco (return trip) · South San Francisco to Stockton · South San Francisco to Santa Rosa · South San Francisco to Concord · South San Francisco to Vallejo · South San Francisco to Fairfield · South San Francisco to Antioch · South San Francisco to San Mateo · South San Francisco to Vacaville · South San Francisco to San Leandro · South San Francisco to Livermore · South San Francisco to Tracy