Commute from Pleasanton/San Ramon to San Jose Airport (Dixon: construction, school)

[caroline3]

I'm planning to relocate in the bay area and I would like to know what the commute would look like. I'm interested in the Pleasanton area and would work close the San Jose airport.

Thanks.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by caroline3

I'm planning to relocate in the bay area and I would like to know what the commute would look like. I'm interested in the Pleasanton area and would work close the San Jose airport.

I would guess about 45 mins given the traffic. I-680, south of Pleasanton, can be a slow crawl when you get to the Sunol grade (a hill). It can be a choke point at times. In San Jose, I-680 becomes I-280 and from 280 on Hwy 87 (which seems to be always under construction), it's usually slow to the airport. Generally, traffic during normal commute hours can be slow in much of the San Jose area.

[socketz]

I have the same basic commute. 25 miles door to door.

I take 680 South to Landess/Montague.

If you get onto the 680 South in the morning BEFORE 7:30am, it rarely takes longer than 40 minutes. It then takes 5 minutes longer for every 10 mins you add to your leave time, up to an hour, which is norm for the 8-9am leave time.

Coming home, try to leave the office by 4:30pm. If you can't leave by 4:30pm, then wait till 7pm. Otherwise, 70 minutes. At 4:30pm, 45-50 mins. Leaving at 4pm will knock off another 5 mins.

The only real exception to these rules is Friday afternoon. Fridays are really easy in the morning (35 mins) and crazy tough in the afternoon (60 mins to infinity)....

Also, once Summer comes around and the kids are out of school, traffic lightens up 10-20%.

Also, take my advice and avoid 880, it's just not a fun highway to drive on. The comical cross-over from 680 to 880 via Mission Blvd will make your head spin. The Dixon Landing exit off 880 is always a major bottleneck as well, even as late in the evening as 8pm.

I've never had much of a commute in my life, so all this is a first for me. However, Pleasanton is a fantastic place to live and raise a family, so it's a no brainer.

I also listen to a ton of books on tape and Bloomberg radio, so I've learned to use the time in the car as time to be with myself and think :-)

[sonarrat]

I used to commute on Montague Expressway between Piedmont (where it is called Landess) and Trimble, which is part of the above poster's commute, and I concur. There are a few different ways you could go, but it's probably best to get off at Montague and take the left onto Trimble. Then you can either take Trimble until it turns into De La Cruz or take North First St two blocks, right on Charcot which turns into Highway 87, and get off at Skyport Dr., the first exit. Traffic is very heavy in that whole area, so be prepared for some long lights.

If you do take Mission over to 880 S, which is a more direct route, you'd merge onto 101 N and get off at Brokaw (NOT the Brokaw exit off 880, that's a disaster area). Unfortunately 880 and 87 do not intersect, which would make this commute a no-brainer.