Best Time to Drive from Tracy to Santa Cruz

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 117 minutes via SR-17 South and I-580 East and I-880 South, usually 108 at this time.

Only 56% 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 Tracy 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	87	86	123	125	110	92	91	90	89	90	97	112	110	108	93	82	81
Tue	87	86	127	130	122	98	91	88	88	91	106	110	108	102	96	85	81
Wed	87	86	127	130	126	97	90	88	88	90	102	111	109	106	100	90	84
Thu	88	86	127	129	127	96	89	87	89	95	102	113	112	104	99	91	88
Fri	88	85	119	116	93	93	89	88	93	110	127	115	106	97	87	86	83
Sat	81	81	81	82	84	86	87	87	87	88	89	89	91	93	88	84	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	83	84	85	85	85	85	84	84	110	116	90	83	81

About this drive

On weekdays the 82-mile drive from Tracy to Santa Cruz (via SR-17 South and I-580 East and I-880 South) usually takes as little as 81 minutes and up to 131 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 90 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Sundays (116 minutes).

About 66 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 16 miles surface streets (21 to 54 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Tracy 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 Tracy to Santa Cruz?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 81 minutes then, versus up to 131 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 82-mile drive usually takes 81 to 131 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 90 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Tracy to Santa Cruz?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 131 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 South in Bay Area (23 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (19 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (14 miles) · I-680 South in Bay Area (10 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Cruz to Tracy (return trip) · Tracy to San Jose · Tracy to San Francisco · Tracy to Sacramento · Tracy to Oakland · Tracy to Fremont · Tracy to Elk Grove · Tracy to Hayward · Tracy to Sunnyvale · Tracy to Concord · Tracy to Santa Clara · Tracy to Vallejo

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	87	86	123	125	110	92	91	90	89	90	97	112	110	108	93	82	81
Tue	87	86	127	130	122	98	91	88	88	91	106	110	108	102	96	85	81
Wed	87	86	127	130	126	97	90	88	88	90	102	111	109	106	100	90	84
Thu	88	86	127	129	127	96	89	87	89	95	102	113	112	104	99	91	88
Fri	88	85	119	116	93	93	89	88	93	110	127	115	106	97	87	86	83
Sat	81	81	81	82	84	86	87	87	87	88	89	89	91	93	88	84	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	83	84	85	85	85	85	84	84	110	116	90	83	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	87	86	123	125	110	92	91	90	89	90	97	112	110	108	93	82	81
Tue	87	86	127	130	122	98	91	88	88	91	106	110	108	102	96	85	81
Wed	87	86	127	130	126	97	90	88	88	90	102	111	109	106	100	90	84
Thu	88	86	127	129	127	96	89	87	89	95	102	113	112	104	99	91	88
Fri	88	85	119	116	93	93	89	88	93	110	127	115	106	97	87	86	83
Sat	81	81	81	82	84	86	87	87	87	88	89	89	91	93	88	84	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	83	84	85	85	85	85	84	84	110	116	90	83	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	87	86	123	125	110	92	91	90	89	90	97	112	110	108	93	82	81
Tue	87	86	127	130	122	98	91	88	88	91	106	110	108	102	96	85	81
Wed	87	86	127	130	126	97	90	88	88	90	102	111	109	106	100	90	84
Thu	88	86	127	129	127	96	89	87	89	95	102	113	112	104	99	91	88
Fri	88	85	119	116	93	93	89	88	93	110	127	115	106	97	87	86	83
Sat	81	81	81	82	84	86	87	87	87	88	89	89	91	93	88	84	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	83	84	85	85	85	85	84	84	110	116	90	83	81