Traffic Predict
When to Leave for SFO: Drive Times by Time of Day
How long it usually takes to drive to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on a weekday, by the time you leave, from 12 cities. The slowest in the table: from Pleasanton at 8 am, about 85 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.
Driving to SFO
| From | 6 am | 8 am | noon | 5 pm | Be there by 7 am | By 5 pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | 33 min | 61 min | 34 min | 43 min | leave 6:20 am | leave 4:20 pm |
| Fremont | 36 min | 60 min | 39 min | 51 min | leave 6:15 am | leave 4:10 pm |
| Hayward | 30 min | 53 min | 31 min | 40 min | leave 6:20 am | leave 4:20 pm |
| Mountain View | 26 min | 33 min | 28 min | 42 min | leave 6:30 am | leave 4:20 pm |
| Oakland | 30 min | 44 min | 29 min | 36 min | leave 6:20 am | leave 4:25 pm |
| Palo Alto | 21 min | 26 min | 23 min | 30 min | leave 6:35 am | leave 4:30 pm |
| Pleasanton | 46 min | 85 min | 47 min | 48 min | leave 6:10 am | leave 4:10 pm |
| Richmond | 36 min | 64 min | 34 min | 45 min | leave 6:15 am | leave 4:15 pm |
| San Francisco | 15 min | 19 min | 15 min | 17 min | leave 6:40 am | leave 4:40 pm |
| San Jose | 34 min | 53 min | 36 min | 48 min | leave 6:20 am | leave 4:10 pm |
| Santa Clara | 32 min | 49 min | 35 min | 47 min | leave 6:25 am | leave 4:10 pm |
| Walnut Creek | 41 min | 54 min | 39 min | 50 min | leave 6:15 am | leave 4:10 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 SFO
| To | 6 am | 8 am | noon | 5 pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | 27 min | 46 min | 30 min | 45 min |
| Fremont | 40 min | 66 min | 40 min | 54 min |
| Hayward | 31 min | 42 min | 31 min | 47 min |
| Mountain View | 25 min | 40 min | 28 min | 41 min |
| Oakland | 24 min | 38 min | 26 min | 33 min |
| Palo Alto | 21 min | 34 min | 23 min | 30 min |
| Pleasanton | 46 min | 69 min | 46 min | 56 min |
| Richmond | 29 min | 43 min | 32 min | 52 min |
| San Francisco | 13 min | 23 min | 15 min | 18 min |
| San Jose | 34 min | 50 min | 37 min | 68 min |
| Santa Clara | 32 min | 51 min | 35 min | 59 min |
| Walnut Creek | 38 min | 52 min | 39 min | 61 min |
Questions
How early should I leave for SFO?
Aim to reach SFO 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 SFO?
On a weekday it usually takes about 33 minutes leaving at 6 am and about 43 minutes leaving at 5 pm.