Best Time to Drive from Sunnyvale to Watsonville

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 55 minutes via SR-17 South and SR-1 South and SR-85 South, usually 57 at this time.

Only 48% 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 Watsonville 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	50	50	51	55	57	53	53	54	56	60	76	89	80	58	51	51	50
Tue	50	50	51	58	60	54	53	55	58	63	84	99	93	75	57	51	50
Wed	50	50	51	57	59	54	53	55	61	68	87	103	99	76	56	51	50
Thu	50	50	51	57	60	54	53	55	58	67	92	107	97	71	56	52	50
Fri	50	50	51	54	53	52	54	58	64	71	86	90	76	59	53	51	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	53	55	57	58	59	58	56	54	52	51	51	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	53	53	52	51	51	51	51	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 52-mile drive from Sunnyvale to Watsonville (via SR-17 South and SR-1 South and SR-85 South) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 107 minutes, when leaving around 4 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 58 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (59 minutes).

About 45 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (10 to 18 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sunnyvale to central Watsonville 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 Watsonville?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 107 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Sunnyvale to Watsonville?

The 52-mile drive usually takes 50 to 107 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 58 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sunnyvale to Watsonville?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 107 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 South in Bay Area (19 miles) · SR-1 South in Bay Area (16 miles) · SR-85 South in Bay Area (9 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Watsonville 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	50	50	51	55	57	53	53	54	56	60	76	89	80	58	51	51	50
Tue	50	50	51	58	60	54	53	55	58	63	84	99	93	75	57	51	50
Wed	50	50	51	57	59	54	53	55	61	68	87	103	99	76	56	51	50
Thu	50	50	51	57	60	54	53	55	58	67	92	107	97	71	56	52	50
Fri	50	50	51	54	53	52	54	58	64	71	86	90	76	59	53	51	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	53	55	57	58	59	58	56	54	52	51	51	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	53	53	52	51	51	51	51	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	50	51	55	57	53	53	54	56	60	76	89	80	58	51	51	50
Tue	50	50	51	58	60	54	53	55	58	63	84	99	93	75	57	51	50
Wed	50	50	51	57	59	54	53	55	61	68	87	103	99	76	56	51	50
Thu	50	50	51	57	60	54	53	55	58	67	92	107	97	71	56	52	50
Fri	50	50	51	54	53	52	54	58	64	71	86	90	76	59	53	51	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	53	55	57	58	59	58	56	54	52	51	51	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	53	53	52	51	51	51	51	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	50	51	55	57	53	53	54	56	60	76	89	80	58	51	51	50
Tue	50	50	51	58	60	54	53	55	58	63	84	99	93	75	57	51	50
Wed	50	50	51	57	59	54	53	55	61	68	87	103	99	76	56	51	50
Thu	50	50	51	57	60	54	53	55	58	67	92	107	97	71	56	52	50
Fri	50	50	51	54	53	52	54	58	64	71	86	90	76	59	53	51	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	53	55	57	58	59	58	56	54	52	51	51	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	53	53	52	51	51	51	51	50