Best Time to Drive from Sunnyvale to Santa Cruz

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 36 minutes via SR-17 South and SR-85 South, usually 36 at this time.

Only 57% 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 Sunnyvale to Santa Cruz 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	35	35	36	42	43	38	37	37	37	37	43	52	49	40	36	36	35
Tue	35	35	36	44	47	39	37	37	36	37	52	63	69	57	41	36	35
Wed	35	35	35	43	46	39	37	37	36	37	54	66	70	56	40	36	35
Thu	35	35	36	44	47	39	37	37	37	38	54	68	71	57	40	36	35
Fri	35	35	36	38	38	37	37	37	37	38	49	51	44	39	37	36	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	38	39	40	40	39	39	38	37	36	36	35	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	38	38	38	37	37	36	36	36	36	36	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from Sunnyvale to Santa Cruz (via SR-17 South and SR-85 South) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 72 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (40 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (9 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale to Santa Cruz?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 72 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Sunnyvale to Santa Cruz?

The 35-mile drive usually takes 35 to 72 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sunnyvale to Santa Cruz?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 72 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 South in Bay Area (20 miles) · SR-85 South in Bay Area (9 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Cruz to Sunnyvale (return trip) · Sunnyvale to Stockton · Sunnyvale to Modesto · Sunnyvale to Concord · Sunnyvale to Vallejo · Sunnyvale to Fairfield · Sunnyvale to Antioch · Sunnyvale to Daly City · Sunnyvale to Vacaville · Sunnyvale to San Leandro · Sunnyvale to Livermore · Sunnyvale to Tracy

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	35	36	42	43	38	37	37	37	37	43	52	49	40	36	36	35
Tue	35	35	36	44	47	39	37	37	36	37	52	63	69	57	41	36	35
Wed	35	35	35	43	46	39	37	37	36	37	54	66	70	56	40	36	35
Thu	35	35	36	44	47	39	37	37	37	38	54	68	71	57	40	36	35
Fri	35	35	36	38	38	37	37	37	37	38	49	51	44	39	37	36	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	38	39	40	40	39	39	38	37	36	36	35	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	38	38	38	37	37	36	36	36	36	36	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	35	36	42	43	38	37	37	37	37	43	52	49	40	36	36	35
Tue	35	35	36	44	47	39	37	37	36	37	52	63	69	57	41	36	35
Wed	35	35	35	43	46	39	37	37	36	37	54	66	70	56	40	36	35
Thu	35	35	36	44	47	39	37	37	37	38	54	68	71	57	40	36	35
Fri	35	35	36	38	38	37	37	37	37	38	49	51	44	39	37	36	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	38	39	40	40	39	39	38	37	36	36	35	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	38	38	38	37	37	36	36	36	36	36	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	35	36	42	43	38	37	37	37	37	43	52	49	40	36	36	35
Tue	35	35	36	44	47	39	37	37	36	37	52	63	69	57	41	36	35
Wed	35	35	35	43	46	39	37	37	36	37	54	66	70	56	40	36	35
Thu	35	35	36	44	47	39	37	37	37	38	54	68	71	57	40	36	35
Fri	35	35	36	38	38	37	37	37	37	38	49	51	44	39	37	36	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	38	39	40	40	39	39	38	37	36	36	35	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	38	38	38	37	37	36	36	36	36	36	35