Best Time to Drive from Berkeley to Sacramento

Right now (8:49 pm PDT): about 70 minutes via I-80 East, usually 70 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Berkeley to Sacramento 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	69	72	78	78	81	80	80	81	81	82	89	89	88	80	73	71	70
Tue	70	73	80	81	81	79	79	79	79	81	94	104	96	85	74	71	70
Wed	70	73	80	80	81	79	79	79	79	83	97	106	100	86	76	71	70
Thu	70	73	79	81	81	79	79	79	81	86	104	109	100	86	76	71	70
Fri	70	72	75	76	78	77	79	83	89	99	110	108	102	90	80	73	70
Sat	70	70	70	71	73	76	80	81	84	84	85	83	83	79	77	74	70
Sun	70	70	70	69	71	72	77	78	80	80	80	78	79	78	77	75	70

About this drive

On weekdays the 78-mile drive from Berkeley to Sacramento (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 69 minutes and up to 111 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 82 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (85 minutes).

About 74 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (4 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Berkeley to downtown Sacramento (the Capitol) 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 Sacramento?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 69 minutes then, versus up to 111 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 78-mile drive usually takes 69 to 111 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 82 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Berkeley to Sacramento?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 111 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Bay Area (48 miles) · I-80 East in Sacramento (21 miles) · US-50 East in Sacramento (3 miles) · I-5 North in Sacramento (1 mile)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow · Sacramento traffic right now · Sacramento traffic tomorrow

More drives

Sacramento 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	69	72	78	78	81	80	80	81	81	82	89	89	88	80	73	71	70
Tue	70	73	80	81	81	79	79	79	79	81	94	104	96	85	74	71	70
Wed	70	73	80	80	81	79	79	79	79	83	97	106	100	86	76	71	70
Thu	70	73	79	81	81	79	79	79	81	86	104	109	100	86	76	71	70
Fri	70	72	75	76	78	77	79	83	89	99	110	108	102	90	80	73	70
Sat	70	70	70	71	73	76	80	81	84	84	85	83	83	79	77	74	70
Sun	70	70	70	69	71	72	77	78	80	80	80	78	79	78	77	75	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	69	72	78	78	81	80	80	81	81	82	89	89	88	80	73	71	70
Tue	70	73	80	81	81	79	79	79	79	81	94	104	96	85	74	71	70
Wed	70	73	80	80	81	79	79	79	79	83	97	106	100	86	76	71	70
Thu	70	73	79	81	81	79	79	79	81	86	104	109	100	86	76	71	70
Fri	70	72	75	76	78	77	79	83	89	99	110	108	102	90	80	73	70
Sat	70	70	70	71	73	76	80	81	84	84	85	83	83	79	77	74	70
Sun	70	70	70	69	71	72	77	78	80	80	80	78	79	78	77	75	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	69	72	78	78	81	80	80	81	81	82	89	89	88	80	73	71	70
Tue	70	73	80	81	81	79	79	79	79	81	94	104	96	85	74	71	70
Wed	70	73	80	80	81	79	79	79	79	83	97	106	100	86	76	71	70
Thu	70	73	79	81	81	79	79	79	81	86	104	109	100	86	76	71	70
Fri	70	72	75	76	78	77	79	83	89	99	110	108	102	90	80	73	70
Sat	70	70	70	71	73	76	80	81	84	84	85	83	83	79	77	74	70
Sun	70	70	70	69	71	72	77	78	80	80	80	78	79	78	77	75	70