Best Time to Drive from Berkeley to SFO

Right now (9:44 am PDT): about 52 minutes via US-101 South and I-80 West, usually 48 at this time.

Only 42% 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 SFO 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	26	33	42	52	52	41	39	37	37	35	41	37	40	35	30	28	27
Tue	26	34	48	60	55	46	41	35	33	35	42	40	46	43	31	29	27
Wed	26	32	46	53	54	42	42	36	34	33	38	41	49	42	29	28	27
Thu	26	33	43	59	55	48	44	38	38	39	50	51	61	48	32	28	27
Fri	26	30	37	42	43	33	36	37	41	42	51	47	48	43	34	32	27
Sat	27	27	27	27	28	30	43	49	50	50	55	52	51	46	39	31	28
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	29	37	40	45	50	50	47	46	41	37	32	28

About this drive

On weekdays the 25-mile drive from Berkeley to SFO (via US-101 South and I-80 West) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 61 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (55 minutes).

About 20 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (9 to 28 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 San Francisco International Airport (SFO) (Departures) 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 SFO?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 61 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 25-mile drive usually takes 26 to 61 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Berkeley to SFO?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 61 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (11 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (9 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

SFO 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 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	26	33	42	52	52	41	39	37	37	35	41	37	40	35	30	28	27
Tue	26	34	48	60	55	46	41	35	33	35	42	40	46	43	31	29	27
Wed	26	32	46	53	54	42	42	36	34	33	38	41	49	42	29	28	27
Thu	26	33	43	59	55	48	44	38	38	39	50	51	61	48	32	28	27
Fri	26	30	37	42	43	33	36	37	41	42	51	47	48	43	34	32	27
Sat	27	27	27	27	28	30	43	49	50	50	55	52	51	46	39	31	28
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	29	37	40	45	50	50	47	46	41	37	32	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	33	42	52	52	41	39	37	37	35	41	37	40	35	30	28	27
Tue	26	34	48	60	55	46	41	35	33	35	42	40	46	43	31	29	27
Wed	26	32	46	53	54	42	42	36	34	33	38	41	49	42	29	28	27
Thu	26	33	43	59	55	48	44	38	38	39	50	51	61	48	32	28	27
Fri	26	30	37	42	43	33	36	37	41	42	51	47	48	43	34	32	27
Sat	27	27	27	27	28	30	43	49	50	50	55	52	51	46	39	31	28
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	29	37	40	45	50	50	47	46	41	37	32	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	33	42	52	52	41	39	37	37	35	41	37	40	35	30	28	27
Tue	26	34	48	60	55	46	41	35	33	35	42	40	46	43	31	29	27
Wed	26	32	46	53	54	42	42	36	34	33	38	41	49	42	29	28	27
Thu	26	33	43	59	55	48	44	38	38	39	50	51	61	48	32	28	27
Fri	26	30	37	42	43	33	36	37	41	42	51	47	48	43	34	32	27
Sat	27	27	27	27	28	30	43	49	50	50	55	52	51	46	39	31	28
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	29	37	40	45	50	50	47	46	41	37	32	28