Best Time to Drive from Woodland to Santa Cruz

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 140 minutes via I-680 South and I-80 West, usually 141 at this time.

Only 42% 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 Woodland 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	133	164	164	151	143	142	141	140	139	138	136	137	132	129	128	128	127
Tue	131	174	178	166	149	142	138	137	137	137	137	141	136	130	128	128	128
Wed	132	167	172	160	147	142	140	138	137	137	138	139	135	129	128	127	127
Thu	131	170	171	165	150	141	138	137	138	137	138	141	136	130	129	128	127
Fri	130	143	142	139	140	140	139	140	141	142	142	142	138	131	128	127	127
Sat	127	128	129	131	135	141	147	145	147	145	142	140	137	132	130	129	127
Sun	127	127	127	129	132	135	140	144	146	145	146	144	143	138	136	131	127

About this drive

On weekdays the 142-mile drive from Woodland to Santa Cruz (via I-680 South and I-80 West) usually takes as little as 127 minutes and up to 178 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 4:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 138 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (147 minutes).

About 135 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (about 8 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Woodland 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 Woodland to Santa Cruz?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 4:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 127 minutes then, versus up to 178 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 142-mile drive usually takes 127 to 178 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 138 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Woodland to Santa Cruz?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 178 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 South in Bay Area (57 miles) · SR-17 South in Bay Area (23 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (16 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (14 miles) · SR-113 South in Sacramento (12 miles) · I-80 West in Sacramento (9 miles)

Sacramento traffic right now · Sacramento traffic tomorrow · Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Woodland to Sacramento · Woodland to Oakland · Woodland to Stockton · Woodland to Santa Rosa · Woodland to Elk Grove · Woodland to Roseville · Woodland to Concord · Woodland to Vallejo · Woodland to Berkeley · Woodland to Fairfield · Woodland to Richmond · Woodland to Chinatown

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	133	164	164	151	143	142	141	140	139	138	136	137	132	129	128	128	127
Tue	131	174	178	166	149	142	138	137	137	137	137	141	136	130	128	128	128
Wed	132	167	172	160	147	142	140	138	137	137	138	139	135	129	128	127	127
Thu	131	170	171	165	150	141	138	137	138	137	138	141	136	130	129	128	127
Fri	130	143	142	139	140	140	139	140	141	142	142	142	138	131	128	127	127
Sat	127	128	129	131	135	141	147	145	147	145	142	140	137	132	130	129	127
Sun	127	127	127	129	132	135	140	144	146	145	146	144	143	138	136	131	127

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	133	164	164	151	143	142	141	140	139	138	136	137	132	129	128	128	127
Tue	131	174	178	166	149	142	138	137	137	137	137	141	136	130	128	128	128
Wed	132	167	172	160	147	142	140	138	137	137	138	139	135	129	128	127	127
Thu	131	170	171	165	150	141	138	137	138	137	138	141	136	130	129	128	127
Fri	130	143	142	139	140	140	139	140	141	142	142	142	138	131	128	127	127
Sat	127	128	129	131	135	141	147	145	147	145	142	140	137	132	130	129	127
Sun	127	127	127	129	132	135	140	144	146	145	146	144	143	138	136	131	127

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	133	164	164	151	143	142	141	140	139	138	136	137	132	129	128	128	127
Tue	131	174	178	166	149	142	138	137	137	137	137	141	136	130	128	128	128
Wed	132	167	172	160	147	142	140	138	137	137	138	139	135	129	128	127	127
Thu	131	170	171	165	150	141	138	137	138	137	138	141	136	130	129	128	127
Fri	130	143	142	139	140	140	139	140	141	142	142	142	138	131	128	127	127
Sat	127	128	129	131	135	141	147	145	147	145	142	140	137	132	130	129	127
Sun	127	127	127	129	132	135	140	144	146	145	146	144	143	138	136	131	127