Best Time to Drive from Fairfield to Sacramento

Right now (12:51 am PDT): about 40 minutes via I-80 East.

Only 71% 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 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	40	41	43	43	43	45	46	47	47	47	49	51	49	44	41	40	40
Tue	40	41	44	46	44	44	44	45	45	46	51	58	56	45	41	40	40
Wed	40	41	44	46	44	44	45	45	45	46	51	62	56	46	41	41	40
Thu	40	41	43	46	43	43	45	45	46	48	56	60	57	45	42	40	40
Fri	40	41	43	43	43	44	44	46	49	55	59	59	54	50	46	43	40
Sat	40	40	40	41	42	43	44	45	47	47	48	47	45	44	43	42	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	43	43	43	44	44	44	43	42	42	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from Fairfield to Sacramento (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 62 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 40 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fairfield 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 Fairfield to Sacramento?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 62 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 43-mile drive usually takes 40 to 62 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fairfield to Sacramento?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 62 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Sacramento (21 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (14 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 Fairfield (return trip) · Fairfield to San Jose · Fairfield to San Francisco · 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 · Fairfield to Santa Clara

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	41	43	43	43	45	46	47	47	47	49	51	49	44	41	40	40
Tue	40	41	44	46	44	44	44	45	45	46	51	58	56	45	41	40	40
Wed	40	41	44	46	44	44	45	45	45	46	51	62	56	46	41	41	40
Thu	40	41	43	46	43	43	45	45	46	48	56	60	57	45	42	40	40
Fri	40	41	43	43	43	44	44	46	49	55	59	59	54	50	46	43	40
Sat	40	40	40	41	42	43	44	45	47	47	48	47	45	44	43	42	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	43	43	43	44	44	44	43	42	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	41	43	43	43	45	46	47	47	47	49	51	49	44	41	40	40
Tue	40	41	44	46	44	44	44	45	45	46	51	58	56	45	41	40	40
Wed	40	41	44	46	44	44	45	45	45	46	51	62	56	46	41	41	40
Thu	40	41	43	46	43	43	45	45	46	48	56	60	57	45	42	40	40
Fri	40	41	43	43	43	44	44	46	49	55	59	59	54	50	46	43	40
Sat	40	40	40	41	42	43	44	45	47	47	48	47	45	44	43	42	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	43	43	43	44	44	44	43	42	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	41	43	43	43	45	46	47	47	47	49	51	49	44	41	40	40
Tue	40	41	44	46	44	44	44	45	45	46	51	58	56	45	41	40	40
Wed	40	41	44	46	44	44	45	45	45	46	51	62	56	46	41	41	40
Thu	40	41	43	46	43	43	45	45	46	48	56	60	57	45	42	40	40
Fri	40	41	43	43	43	44	44	46	49	55	59	59	54	50	46	43	40
Sat	40	40	40	41	42	43	44	45	47	47	48	47	45	44	43	42	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	43	43	43	44	44	44	43	42	42	40