Best Time to Drive from Watsonville to Sunnyvale

Right now (8:52 pm PDT): about 51 minutes via SR-17 North and SR-1 North, usually 51 at this time.

Only 68% 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 Sunnyvale 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	52	67	69	57	55	55	54	54	57	65	61	62	52	51	51	51
Tue	50	52	80	89	71	58	55	54	54	56	66	65	65	63	52	51	51
Wed	50	52	81	87	71	59	55	54	54	61	64	66	66	64	53	51	51
Thu	50	52	84	86	69	58	54	53	54	60	66	66	66	63	53	51	51
Fri	50	52	60	62	56	55	56	55	55	58	60	56	54	53	52	51	51
Sat	51	51	51	51	52	53	54	55	55	55	56	58	60	57	57	57	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	53	54	57	57	58	59	58	57	56	55	54	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from Watsonville to Sunnyvale (via SR-17 North and SR-1 North) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 93 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (60 minutes).

About 44 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (12 to 24 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Watsonville to central Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 93 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 53-mile drive usually takes 50 to 93 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Watsonville to Sunnyvale?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 93 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-17 North in Bay Area (22 miles) · SR-1 North in Bay Area (15 miles) · I-280 North in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

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	52	67	69	57	55	55	54	54	57	65	61	62	52	51	51	51
Tue	50	52	80	89	71	58	55	54	54	56	66	65	65	63	52	51	51
Wed	50	52	81	87	71	59	55	54	54	61	64	66	66	64	53	51	51
Thu	50	52	84	86	69	58	54	53	54	60	66	66	66	63	53	51	51
Fri	50	52	60	62	56	55	56	55	55	58	60	56	54	53	52	51	51
Sat	51	51	51	51	52	53	54	55	55	55	56	58	60	57	57	57	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	53	54	57	57	58	59	58	57	56	55	54	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	52	67	69	57	55	55	54	54	57	65	61	62	52	51	51	51
Tue	50	52	80	89	71	58	55	54	54	56	66	65	65	63	52	51	51
Wed	50	52	81	87	71	59	55	54	54	61	64	66	66	64	53	51	51
Thu	50	52	84	86	69	58	54	53	54	60	66	66	66	63	53	51	51
Fri	50	52	60	62	56	55	56	55	55	58	60	56	54	53	52	51	51
Sat	51	51	51	51	52	53	54	55	55	55	56	58	60	57	57	57	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	53	54	57	57	58	59	58	57	56	55	54	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	52	67	69	57	55	55	54	54	57	65	61	62	52	51	51	51
Tue	50	52	80	89	71	58	55	54	54	56	66	65	65	63	52	51	51
Wed	50	52	81	87	71	59	55	54	54	61	64	66	66	64	53	51	51
Thu	50	52	84	86	69	58	54	53	54	60	66	66	66	63	53	51	51
Fri	50	52	60	62	56	55	56	55	55	58	60	56	54	53	52	51	51
Sat	51	51	51	51	52	53	54	55	55	55	56	58	60	57	57	57	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	53	54	57	57	58	59	58	57	56	55	54	51