Best Time to Drive from Berkeley to San Francisco

Right now (12:17 pm PDT): about 28 minutes via I-80 West, usually 31 at this time.

Only 28% 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 San Francisco 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	18	25	37	42	44	32	31	30	30	26	34	29	32	27	22	19	19
Tue	18	27	42	52	48	38	33	27	25	27	35	32	38	34	23	20	19
Wed	18	23	39	45	47	34	32	28	26	26	31	33	42	35	22	19	19
Thu	18	24	38	49	47	38	36	30	31	32	42	44	51	40	24	20	19
Fri	18	21	29	32	35	24	28	29	34	36	45	41	41	37	28	23	19
Sat	18	18	18	19	19	22	35	42	44	42	47	46	48	44	36	28	23
Sun	18	18	18	19	19	21	30	32	41	44	44	41	42	38	33	25	19

About this drive

On weekdays the 14-mile drive from Berkeley to San Francisco (via I-80 West) usually takes as little as 18 minutes and up to 53 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 30 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 9 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (11 to 33 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Berkeley (Martin Luther King Junior Way) to downtown San Francisco (Market Street) 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 San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 18 minutes then, versus up to 53 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Berkeley to San Francisco?

The 14-mile drive usually takes 18 to 53 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 30 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Berkeley to San Francisco?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 53 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (9 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Berkeley (return trip) · 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 · Berkeley to SJC

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	18	25	37	42	44	32	31	30	30	26	34	29	32	27	22	19	19
Tue	18	27	42	52	48	38	33	27	25	27	35	32	38	34	23	20	19
Wed	18	23	39	45	47	34	32	28	26	26	31	33	42	35	22	19	19
Thu	18	24	38	49	47	38	36	30	31	32	42	44	51	40	24	20	19
Fri	18	21	29	32	35	24	28	29	34	36	45	41	41	37	28	23	19
Sat	18	18	18	19	19	22	35	42	44	42	47	46	48	44	36	28	23
Sun	18	18	18	19	19	21	30	32	41	44	44	41	42	38	33	25	19

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	18	25	37	42	44	32	31	30	30	26	34	29	32	27	22	19	19
Tue	18	27	42	52	48	38	33	27	25	27	35	32	38	34	23	20	19
Wed	18	23	39	45	47	34	32	28	26	26	31	33	42	35	22	19	19
Thu	18	24	38	49	47	38	36	30	31	32	42	44	51	40	24	20	19
Fri	18	21	29	32	35	24	28	29	34	36	45	41	41	37	28	23	19
Sat	18	18	18	19	19	22	35	42	44	42	47	46	48	44	36	28	23
Sun	18	18	18	19	19	21	30	32	41	44	44	41	42	38	33	25	19

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	18	25	37	42	44	32	31	30	30	26	34	29	32	27	22	19	19
Tue	18	27	42	52	48	38	33	27	25	27	35	32	38	34	23	20	19
Wed	18	23	39	45	47	34	32	28	26	26	31	33	42	35	22	19	19
Thu	18	24	38	49	47	38	36	30	31	32	42	44	51	40	24	20	19
Fri	18	21	29	32	35	24	28	29	34	36	45	41	41	37	28	23	19
Sat	18	18	18	19	19	22	35	42	44	42	47	46	48	44	36	28	23
Sun	18	18	18	19	19	21	30	32	41	44	44	41	42	38	33	25	19