When to Leave for OAK: Drive Times by Time of Day

How long it usually takes to drive to Oakland International Airport (OAK) on a weekday, by the time you leave, from 13 cities. The slowest in the table: from Santa Clara at 5 pm, about 72 minutes.

Plan to reach the airport about 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one; the columns on the right give the latest time to leave to be at the curb by 7 am or 5 pm on a normal weekday.

Plan your drive to OAK →

Driving to OAK

From	6 am	8 am	noon	5 pm	Be there by 7 am	By 5 pm
Berkeley	21 min	31 min	24 min	34 min	leave 6:35 am	leave 4:25 pm
Fremont	23 min	44 min	27 min	39 min	leave 6:30 am	leave 4:20 pm
Hayward	15 min	31 min	18 min	20 min	leave 6:40 am	leave 4:40 pm
Mountain View	39 min	63 min	43 min	67 min	leave 6:20 am	leave 3:55 pm
Oakland	13 min	17 min	16 min	23 min	leave 6:45 am	leave 4:35 pm
Palo Alto	34 min	58 min	39 min	55 min	leave 6:25 am	leave 4:05 pm
Pleasanton	26 min	53 min	30 min	31 min	leave 6:30 am	leave 4:25 pm
Richmond	24 min	53 min	28 min	42 min	leave 6:30 am	leave 4:20 pm
San Francisco	28 min	33 min	29 min	40 min	leave 6:30 am	leave 4:20 pm
San Jose	36 min	57 min	41 min	68 min	leave 6:20 am	leave 3:55 pm
San Mateo	32 min	58 min	37 min	49 min	leave 6:25 am	leave 4:10 pm
Santa Clara	40 min	61 min	44 min	72 min	leave 6:15 am	leave 3:50 pm
Walnut Creek	29 min	44 min	31 min	35 min	leave 6:30 am	leave 4:25 pm

Typical Tuesday drive times from our freeway sensors, from the city centre to the terminals; weekends are usually faster, Friday afternoons slower. Crashes and weather are not included.

Leaving OAK

To	6 am	8 am	noon	5 pm
Berkeley	20 min	32 min	23 min	26 min
Fremont	29 min	54 min	29 min	33 min
Hayward	16 min	24 min	18 min	20 min
Mountain View	43 min	72 min	44 min	55 min
Oakland	13 min	20 min	14 min	16 min
Palo Alto	39 min	68 min	39 min	46 min
Pleasanton	27 min	40 min	29 min	31 min
Richmond	23 min	32 min	26 min	43 min
San Francisco	33 min	44 min	29 min	31 min
San Jose	42 min	82 min	43 min	54 min
San Mateo	35 min	57 min	36 min	41 min
Santa Clara	44 min	85 min	44 min	56 min
Walnut Creek	28 min	38 min	32 min	55 min

Questions

How early should I leave for OAK?

Aim to reach OAK about 2 hours before a domestic flight (3 hours for international). The table above gives the latest time to leave from each city to be there by 7 am or 5 pm on a normal weekday; allow extra time on Friday afternoons, holidays and rainy days.

How long does it take to drive from Berkeley to OAK?

On a weekday it usually takes about 21 minutes leaving at 6 am and about 34 minutes leaving at 5 pm.

All airports