Best Time to Drive from Watsonville to Daly City

Right now (7:20 pm PDT): about 84 minutes via I-280 North and SR-17 North and SR-1 North, usually 86 at this time.

Only 55% 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 Watsonville to Daly City 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	81	82	97	101	89	86	86	84	84	84	85	88	85	82	82	81	81
Tue	80	83	109	114	101	90	85	84	84	83	87	95	90	83	81	81	80
Wed	80	84	109	113	99	90	86	85	84	85	89	96	93	84	83	81	81
Thu	80	83	108	113	99	90	86	85	84	87	92	97	96	86	82	81	81
Fri	80	82	89	94	87	86	86	85	85	88	87	90	89	85	82	82	81
Sat	81	80	81	81	82	83	86	87	87	86	86	88	90	88	86	86	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	82	84	86	88	89	89	91	89	87	86	86	85	81

About this drive

On weekdays the 87-mile drive from Watsonville to Daly City (via I-280 North and SR-17 North and SR-1 North) usually takes as little as 80 minutes and up to 115 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 85 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Sundays (91 minutes).

About 80 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (10 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Watsonville to central Daly City 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 Watsonville to Daly City?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 80 minutes then, versus up to 115 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Watsonville to Daly City?

The 87-mile drive usually takes 80 to 115 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 85 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Watsonville to Daly City?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 115 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-280 North in Bay Area (36 miles) · SR-17 North in Bay Area (18 miles) · SR-1 North in Bay Area (15 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (9 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Daly City to Watsonville (return trip) · Watsonville to San Jose · Watsonville to Oakland · Watsonville to Fremont · Watsonville to Hayward · Watsonville to Salinas · Watsonville to Sunnyvale · Watsonville to Santa Clara

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	82	97	101	89	86	86	84	84	84	85	88	85	82	82	81	81
Tue	80	83	109	114	101	90	85	84	84	83	87	95	90	83	81	81	80
Wed	80	84	109	113	99	90	86	85	84	85	89	96	93	84	83	81	81
Thu	80	83	108	113	99	90	86	85	84	87	92	97	96	86	82	81	81
Fri	80	82	89	94	87	86	86	85	85	88	87	90	89	85	82	82	81
Sat	81	80	81	81	82	83	86	87	87	86	86	88	90	88	86	86	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	82	84	86	88	89	89	91	89	87	86	86	85	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	82	97	101	89	86	86	84	84	84	85	88	85	82	82	81	81
Tue	80	83	109	114	101	90	85	84	84	83	87	95	90	83	81	81	80
Wed	80	84	109	113	99	90	86	85	84	85	89	96	93	84	83	81	81
Thu	80	83	108	113	99	90	86	85	84	87	92	97	96	86	82	81	81
Fri	80	82	89	94	87	86	86	85	85	88	87	90	89	85	82	82	81
Sat	81	80	81	81	82	83	86	87	87	86	86	88	90	88	86	86	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	82	84	86	88	89	89	91	89	87	86	86	85	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	82	97	101	89	86	86	84	84	84	85	88	85	82	82	81	81
Tue	80	83	109	114	101	90	85	84	84	83	87	95	90	83	81	81	80
Wed	80	84	109	113	99	90	86	85	84	85	89	96	93	84	83	81	81
Thu	80	83	108	113	99	90	86	85	84	87	92	97	96	86	82	81	81
Fri	80	82	89	94	87	86	86	85	85	88	87	90	89	85	82	82	81
Sat	81	80	81	81	82	83	86	87	87	86	86	88	90	88	86	86	81
Sun	81	81	81	81	82	84	86	88	89	89	91	89	87	86	86	85	81