Best Time to Drive from Berkeley to Napa

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 50 minutes via I-80 East, usually 47 at this time.

Only 57% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Berkeley to Napa by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	46	52	55	55	51	51	51	51	50	54	53	55	51	45	44	43
Tue	43	47	55	59	55	51	49	49	48	49	55	60	63	57	46	44	43
Wed	43	46	56	57	54	50	50	49	49	49	54	61	64	56	47	44	43
Thu	43	46	55	59	55	51	51	50	50	50	58	64	66	58	49	44	43
Fri	43	45	48	51	51	48	50	51	53	56	66	67	63	56	49	45	43
Sat	43	43	43	43	43	46	51	51	51	50	51	51	51	49	47	45	44
Sun	43	43	43	42	43	44	49	51	52	53	51	50	49	48	47	45	43

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from Berkeley to Napa (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 43 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (53 minutes).

About 24 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 15 miles surface streets (21 to 36 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Berkeley to central Napa along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Berkeley to Napa?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 43 minutes then, versus up to 69 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 39-mile drive usually takes 43 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Berkeley to Napa?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 69 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Bay Area (24 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Napa to Berkeley (return trip) · Berkeley to San Francisco · Berkeley to San Jose · Berkeley to Palo Alto · Berkeley to Fremont · Berkeley to Walnut Creek · Berkeley to San Mateo · Berkeley to Mountain View · Berkeley to Pleasanton · Berkeley to Santa Clara · Berkeley to SFO · Berkeley to OAK

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	46	52	55	55	51	51	51	51	50	54	53	55	51	45	44	43
Tue	43	47	55	59	55	51	49	49	48	49	55	60	63	57	46	44	43
Wed	43	46	56	57	54	50	50	49	49	49	54	61	64	56	47	44	43
Thu	43	46	55	59	55	51	51	50	50	50	58	64	66	58	49	44	43
Fri	43	45	48	51	51	48	50	51	53	56	66	67	63	56	49	45	43
Sat	43	43	43	43	43	46	51	51	51	50	51	51	51	49	47	45	44
Sun	43	43	43	42	43	44	49	51	52	53	51	50	49	48	47	45	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	46	52	55	55	51	51	51	51	50	54	53	55	51	45	44	43
Tue	43	47	55	59	55	51	49	49	48	49	55	60	63	57	46	44	43
Wed	43	46	56	57	54	50	50	49	49	49	54	61	64	56	47	44	43
Thu	43	46	55	59	55	51	51	50	50	50	58	64	66	58	49	44	43
Fri	43	45	48	51	51	48	50	51	53	56	66	67	63	56	49	45	43
Sat	43	43	43	43	43	46	51	51	51	50	51	51	51	49	47	45	44
Sun	43	43	43	42	43	44	49	51	52	53	51	50	49	48	47	45	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	46	52	55	55	51	51	51	51	50	54	53	55	51	45	44	43
Tue	43	47	55	59	55	51	49	49	48	49	55	60	63	57	46	44	43
Wed	43	46	56	57	54	50	50	49	49	49	54	61	64	56	47	44	43
Thu	43	46	55	59	55	51	51	50	50	50	58	64	66	58	49	44	43
Fri	43	45	48	51	51	48	50	51	53	56	66	67	63	56	49	45	43
Sat	43	43	43	43	43	46	51	51	51	50	51	51	51	49	47	45	44
Sun	43	43	43	42	43	44	49	51	52	53	51	50	49	48	47	45	43