Best Time to Drive from Fairfield to Lincoln

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 82 minutes via I-80 East, usually 70 at this time.

Only 79% 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 Fairfield to Lincoln 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	65	67	71	70	71	73	73	75	74	76	79	84	78	70	67	67	66
Tue	65	68	72	70	71	71	72	72	73	77	86	89	81	70	67	66	66
Wed	65	68	71	71	71	72	73	73	73	78	86	90	82	71	67	67	66
Thu	65	68	71	72	71	71	73	73	74	81	89	92	83	71	68	67	65
Fri	65	68	70	70	70	71	72	74	77	86	90	89	83	78	73	69	66
Sat	66	66	66	67	68	70	71	73	75	76	76	74	72	72	69	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	66	67	69	70	69	69	70	70	69	69	68	68	65

About this drive

On weekdays the 72-mile drive from Fairfield to Lincoln (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 65 minutes and up to 92 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 10:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 74 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (78 minutes).

About 67 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fairfield to central Lincoln 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 Fairfield to Lincoln?

On weekdays, leave before 10:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 65 minutes then, versus up to 92 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Fairfield to Lincoln?

The 72-mile drive usually takes 65 to 92 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 74 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fairfield to Lincoln?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 92 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Sacramento (46 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (14 miles) · SR-65 North in Sacramento (6 miles)

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

More drives

Lincoln to Fairfield (return trip) · Fairfield to San Jose · Fairfield to San Francisco · Fairfield to Sacramento · Fairfield to Oakland · Fairfield to Fremont · Fairfield to Santa Rosa · Fairfield to Elk Grove · Fairfield to Hayward · Fairfield to Sunnyvale · Fairfield to Roseville · Fairfield to Concord

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	65	67	71	70	71	73	73	75	74	76	79	84	78	70	67	67	66
Tue	65	68	72	70	71	71	72	72	73	77	86	89	81	70	67	66	66
Wed	65	68	71	71	71	72	73	73	73	78	86	90	82	71	67	67	66
Thu	65	68	71	72	71	71	73	73	74	81	89	92	83	71	68	67	65
Fri	65	68	70	70	70	71	72	74	77	86	90	89	83	78	73	69	66
Sat	66	66	66	67	68	70	71	73	75	76	76	74	72	72	69	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	66	67	69	70	69	69	70	70	69	69	68	68	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	65	67	71	70	71	73	73	75	74	76	79	84	78	70	67	67	66
Tue	65	68	72	70	71	71	72	72	73	77	86	89	81	70	67	66	66
Wed	65	68	71	71	71	72	73	73	73	78	86	90	82	71	67	67	66
Thu	65	68	71	72	71	71	73	73	74	81	89	92	83	71	68	67	65
Fri	65	68	70	70	70	71	72	74	77	86	90	89	83	78	73	69	66
Sat	66	66	66	67	68	70	71	73	75	76	76	74	72	72	69	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	66	67	69	70	69	69	70	70	69	69	68	68	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	65	67	71	70	71	73	73	75	74	76	79	84	78	70	67	67	66
Tue	65	68	72	70	71	71	72	72	73	77	86	89	81	70	67	66	66
Wed	65	68	71	71	71	72	73	73	73	78	86	90	82	71	67	67	66
Thu	65	68	71	72	71	71	73	73	74	81	89	92	83	71	68	67	65
Fri	65	68	70	70	70	71	72	74	77	86	90	89	83	78	73	69	66
Sat	66	66	66	67	68	70	71	73	75	76	76	74	72	72	69	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	66	67	69	70	69	69	70	70	69	69	68	68	65