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Traffic heat map of Santa Clara County, California: 2,038 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on Bayshore Freeway

Santa Clara County, California Traffic Counts

It ranks among the top 5 counties in California for average daily traffic. This page breaks down traffic in Santa Clara County, California across 2,038 miles of monitored roads split into 70,288 segments, using multi-sourced mobile and sensor data. It goes beyond raw counts to truck flow, congestion and who is driving, so site selection and route planning rest on evidence.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Santa Clara County, California

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day13,366
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

5.5%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

32.0 min
Congestion ratio

The rate at which the actual travel time exceeds free-flow travel time, averaged among all roads in the network.

27.4%
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

42.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$161,336

Our data shows 13,366 vehicles per day on the average road in Santa Clara County, California, and 42,004,951 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈15.3 billion per year) across its 2,038 miles of monitored roads. About 1 in 18 vehicles is a truck, fewer than the 1 in 13 across California.

Busier roads than 93% of counties in California

The average road in Santa Clara carries 13,366 vehicles per day, essentially matching the state average of 12,766. In total volume terms, its road network carries about 4.5% of California's statewide total of vehicle-miles. By volume, Santa Clara's 13,366 vehicles per day outpaces 93% of counties in California.

Journey times run 7% lower than the state level, at 32.0 minutes on average. 82% of counties in California have a longer average travel time than Santa Clara's 32.0 minutes.

At 27.4%, the congestion ratio matches the state level closely.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Santa Clara County, California

Trafficvehicles per day43,126
Trucks6.4%
Average travel time33.6 min
Congestion ratio57.7%
Drivers’ average age42.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income$158,976

Highways carry more than half of all travel in Santa Clara County, California (60% of vehicle-miles). The average highway carries 43,126 vehicles per day, 272% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 11,588 vehicles per day.

With 23% of the road miles (466 miles in 3,963 segments), highways punch above their length, carrying 25,062,508 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈9.1 billion per year).

That is more highway travel volume than 90% of counties in California.

Lower highway truck share than 94% of counties in California

The concentration of trucks on highways (6.4%) is 38% lower than the state average for similar road classifications. Highways here mostly serve passenger trips, so local access matters more than long-haul routing for logistics operators.

By truck concentration, highways here trail 94% of counties in California. By raw truck volume, Santa Clara carries more highway trucks than 63% of counties in California.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Santa Clara County, California

Trafficvehicles per day11,588
Trucks4.0%
Average travel time31.9 min
Congestion ratio25.6%
Drivers’ average age43.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income$164,137

Local roads carry a significant share of travel in Santa Clara County, California: 40% of all vehicle-miles. A typical local road sees 11,588 vehicles per day.

Local roads make up 77% of the monitored road miles (1,572 miles in 66,325 segments) but carry less than their share of travel: 16,942,442 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈6.2 billion per year). The truck share on non-highway roads is 4.0%.

Drivers from higher-income areas than 98% of counties in California

Compared to highways, non-highway routes see 38% fewer trucks by share.

The non-highway congestion ratio of 25.6% is in line with the state level.

Trip origins here have higher average income than 98% of counties in California. 77% of counties in California have an older driver population than Santa Clara.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Santa Clara County, California, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic.

Santa Clara County vs. California Traffic Comparison

Of the four measures, highway truck share differs most: Santa Clara County runs 38% below the California average. Its truck share is also 30% below.

MetricSanta Clara CountyCalifornia averageDifference
Traffic13,36612,766+4.7%
Truck % (Total Traffic)5.5%7.8%-29.9%
Truck % (Highway)6.4%10.4%-38.0%
Avg. Travel Time32.0 min34.5 min-7.2%

How Santa Clara County compares

Santa Clara County moves more traffic than any nearby county

Set against the average of the 4 areas nearest to it, Santa Clara County moves 2.0 times the total daily travel; it has the busiest roads of the five. Bigger and busier at once: more road than the areas around it and heavier traffic on it, which makes it the centre of gravity for travel in this part of the map.

Santa Clara County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the California average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Santa Clara County13,3665.5%42,004,95132.0 min27.4%
Santa Cruz County, California9,5466.4%5,191,96239.8 min28.7%
Alameda County, California12,5066.6%36,534,37233.4 min31.0%
San Mateo County, California10,3265.8%14,586,14031.7 min24.4%
Contra Costa County, California11,9386.1%25,822,58330.6 min31.6%
California average12,7667.8%N/A34.5 min27.4%

Santa Clara County ranked within California

On average driver income, Santa Clara County is among the three highest county-level areas in California.

Santa Clara County ranked among 58 county-level areas in California (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 52.
MeasureSanta Clara CountyCalifornia rank
Traffic volume (AADT)13,366#5 of 58
Highway vehicle-miles per day25,062,508#6 of 52
Truck share on highways6.4%#49 of 52
Highway trucks per day2,777#20 of 52
Average travel time32.0 min#48 of 58
Average driver income$161,336#2 of 58
Average driver age42.9 yrs#45 of 58

Santa Clara County ranks #6 of 52 on highway travel volume but #49 of 52 on truck share on highways. It carries some of the heaviest highway traffic in California, but very little of it is freight - this is commuter and local car volume, not through-trucking.

Busiest roads in Santa Clara County, California

On their busiest stretches, the three busiest roads in Santa Clara County carry 173,120 vehicles a day on average, 13.0 times the typical road in the county (13,366).

Bayshore Freeway is the busiest road, at 179,168 vehicles a day, 10,286 of them trucks (5.7%). Nimitz Freeway is practically level with it at 177,827. Nimitz Freeway carries the most trucks, 12,385 a day (7.0% of its traffic), although it ranks #2 for all traffic.

Trucks make up 20.1% of traffic on Pacheco Pass Highway, against 5.5% across all roads in the county.

Trips using Pacheco Pass Highway are long: a median of 72.0 minutes against 32.0 county-wide, the mark of a through route.

Drivers on Pacheco Pass Highway come from neighborhoods with an average household income of $92,751, 43% below the county average of $161,336.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Bayshore FreewayMotorway · 179,168vehicles10,286trucks · 5.7%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
87.8%
Median trip time
33.9 min
Drivers’ median age
42.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$154,386

Bayshore Freeway is a trunk route for the county, carrying 13.4 times the county average on its busiest stretch; trucks are 5.7% of it, above the county-wide 5.5%.

2Nimitz FreewayMotorway · 177,827vehicles12,385trucks · 7.0%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
90.7%
Median trip time
37.5 min
Drivers’ median age
42.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$167,473

Nimitz Freeway is one of the more congested roads here: trips take 91% longer than at free-flow speed, against 27% county-wide.

3Sinclair FreewayMotorway · 162,366vehicles7,838trucks · 4.8%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
87.2%
Median trip time
31.7 min
Drivers’ median age
43.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$148,594

Sinclair Freeway carries 12.1 times the county average at its busiest, 7,838 of them trucks (4.8%, below the county-wide 5.5%).

4Guadalupe ParkwayMotorway · 140,390vehicles6,220trucks · 4.4%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
97.5%
Median trip time
29.4 min
Drivers’ median age
43.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$150,693

Delays build on Guadalupe Parkway: its congestion ratio of 97% over free-flow time is well above the county's 27%.

5US 101Motorway · 133,284vehicles11,715trucks · 8.8%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
67.4%
Median trip time
42.6 min
Drivers’ median age
44.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$150,561

US 101 carries through traffic: the median trip using it lasts 42.6 minutes, against 32.0 for the county.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Nimitz FreewayMotorway · #2 by traffic177,827vehicles12,385trucks · 7.0%
2US 101Motorway · #5 by traffic133,284vehicles11,715trucks · 8.8%
3Bayshore FreewayMotorway · #1 by traffic179,168vehicles10,286trucks · 5.7%
4Pacheco Pass HighwayTrunk road · 39,649vehicles7,989trucks · 20.1%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
40.5%
Median trip time
72.0 min
Drivers’ median age
42.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$92,751

On its busiest stretch, Pacheco Pass Highway carries 3.0 times the county average; trucks are 20.1% of it, above the county-wide 5.5%.

5Sinclair FreewayMotorway · #3 by traffic162,366vehicles7,838trucks · 4.8%
How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

Santa ClaraDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Santa Clara County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Santa Clara County, California.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.