Which way should I go?

Question

I'm trying to get to Gualala, CA, on highway one, and I am leaving tomorrow at around 5:00pm. I live next to San Jose in Cupertino. Which way will have less traffic, theoretically? Should I go up 280, through S.F., and connect back up with 101? Or go up 680, through Oakland and all those highways up there, over the San Rafael Bridge, and connect back with 101?

Answer 1

Ugly ride at that time. No options are particularly nice.

Interstate 880 will be very ugly its entire length.  You'll catch a break on 580 over to Marin, that rolls real smooth.  101 is also a nightmare, but by the time you reach 101, the commute hour will have ended.

280 would probably be a lot less bad than 880.  You wouldn't be into the City until at least 6, so the worst of the commute will be over.  The problem with that route is highway 1 - you'll have more twisty-turny than the Monaco Grand Prix.   I'd stay on 101 as much as possible, I'd probably cross over to 1 by using the road from Petaluma to Bodega which is not quite as bad.

You know this will be a long, long ride.

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