Best Time to Drive from Berkeley to San Mateo

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 43 minutes via US-101 South and I-80 West, usually 38 at this time.

Only 40% 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 Mateo 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	31	37	52	61	57	46	44	45	42	41	48	43	48	41	35	32	32
Tue	31	38	57	69	62	52	46	40	38	41	50	49	54	50	35	33	32
Wed	31	36	54	64	61	48	46	41	40	41	48	51	59	50	36	32	32
Thu	31	37	51	65	61	51	48	42	43	46	57	59	69	57	38	33	32
Fri	31	34	42	43	46	38	41	41	46	50	58	53	55	50	41	35	32
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	35	47	55	57	56	59	58	60	55	48	41	35
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	40	44	50	55	54	52	52	49	44	38	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from Berkeley to San Mateo (via US-101 South and I-80 West) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (9 to 26 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 central San Mateo (South El Camino Real) 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 Mateo?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 69 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 31-mile drive usually takes 31 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Berkeley to San Mateo?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 69 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (17 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (9 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Mateo 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 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	31	37	52	61	57	46	44	45	42	41	48	43	48	41	35	32	32
Tue	31	38	57	69	62	52	46	40	38	41	50	49	54	50	35	33	32
Wed	31	36	54	64	61	48	46	41	40	41	48	51	59	50	36	32	32
Thu	31	37	51	65	61	51	48	42	43	46	57	59	69	57	38	33	32
Fri	31	34	42	43	46	38	41	41	46	50	58	53	55	50	41	35	32
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	35	47	55	57	56	59	58	60	55	48	41	35
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	40	44	50	55	54	52	52	49	44	38	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	37	52	61	57	46	44	45	42	41	48	43	48	41	35	32	32
Tue	31	38	57	69	62	52	46	40	38	41	50	49	54	50	35	33	32
Wed	31	36	54	64	61	48	46	41	40	41	48	51	59	50	36	32	32
Thu	31	37	51	65	61	51	48	42	43	46	57	59	69	57	38	33	32
Fri	31	34	42	43	46	38	41	41	46	50	58	53	55	50	41	35	32
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	35	47	55	57	56	59	58	60	55	48	41	35
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	40	44	50	55	54	52	52	49	44	38	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	37	52	61	57	46	44	45	42	41	48	43	48	41	35	32	32
Tue	31	38	57	69	62	52	46	40	38	41	50	49	54	50	35	33	32
Wed	31	36	54	64	61	48	46	41	40	41	48	51	59	50	36	32	32
Thu	31	37	51	65	61	51	48	42	43	46	57	59	69	57	38	33	32
Fri	31	34	42	43	46	38	41	41	46	50	58	53	55	50	41	35	32
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	35	47	55	57	56	59	58	60	55	48	41	35
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	40	44	50	55	54	52	52	49	44	38	32