Best Time to Drive from Watsonville to Hayward

Right now (8:52 pm PDT): about 69 minutes via I-880 North and SR-17 North and SR-1 North, usually 67 at this time.

Only 74% 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 Hayward 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	67	73	83	89	79	77	77	77	80	87	92	93	92	81	71	69	67
Tue	67	74	89	101	85	77	76	76	79	87	99	104	103	91	78	69	67
Wed	67	73	88	101	88	79	76	77	81	89	103	106	105	93	80	69	67
Thu	68	74	88	101	86	78	76	76	80	90	103	106	105	91	80	69	68
Fri	67	71	78	82	77	76	78	79	84	93	98	97	95	86	77	70	67
Sat	68	67	68	68	70	72	76	79	79	81	83	85	87	80	78	75	67
Sun	67	68	67	67	69	71	74	76	79	80	81	79	80	77	75	73	68

About this drive

On weekdays the 73-mile drive from Watsonville to Hayward (via I-880 North and SR-17 North and SR-1 North) usually takes as little as 67 minutes and up to 107 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 80 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (87 minutes).

About 65 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (10 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Watsonville to central Hayward 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 Hayward?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 67 minutes then, versus up to 107 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 73-mile drive usually takes 67 to 107 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 80 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Watsonville to Hayward?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 107 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (27 miles) · SR-17 North in Bay Area (22 miles) · SR-1 North in Bay Area (15 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Hayward to Watsonville (return trip) · Watsonville to San Jose · Watsonville to Oakland · Watsonville to Fremont · Watsonville to Salinas · Watsonville to Sunnyvale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	73	83	89	79	77	77	77	80	87	92	93	92	81	71	69	67
Tue	67	74	89	101	85	77	76	76	79	87	99	104	103	91	78	69	67
Wed	67	73	88	101	88	79	76	77	81	89	103	106	105	93	80	69	67
Thu	68	74	88	101	86	78	76	76	80	90	103	106	105	91	80	69	68
Fri	67	71	78	82	77	76	78	79	84	93	98	97	95	86	77	70	67
Sat	68	67	68	68	70	72	76	79	79	81	83	85	87	80	78	75	67
Sun	67	68	67	67	69	71	74	76	79	80	81	79	80	77	75	73	68

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	73	83	89	79	77	77	77	80	87	92	93	92	81	71	69	67
Tue	67	74	89	101	85	77	76	76	79	87	99	104	103	91	78	69	67
Wed	67	73	88	101	88	79	76	77	81	89	103	106	105	93	80	69	67
Thu	68	74	88	101	86	78	76	76	80	90	103	106	105	91	80	69	68
Fri	67	71	78	82	77	76	78	79	84	93	98	97	95	86	77	70	67
Sat	68	67	68	68	70	72	76	79	79	81	83	85	87	80	78	75	67
Sun	67	68	67	67	69	71	74	76	79	80	81	79	80	77	75	73	68

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	73	83	89	79	77	77	77	80	87	92	93	92	81	71	69	67
Tue	67	74	89	101	85	77	76	76	79	87	99	104	103	91	78	69	67
Wed	67	73	88	101	88	79	76	77	81	89	103	106	105	93	80	69	67
Thu	68	74	88	101	86	78	76	76	80	90	103	106	105	91	80	69	68
Fri	67	71	78	82	77	76	78	79	84	93	98	97	95	86	77	70	67
Sat	68	67	68	68	70	72	76	79	79	81	83	85	87	80	78	75	67
Sun	67	68	67	67	69	71	74	76	79	80	81	79	80	77	75	73	68