Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Foster City to San Francisco
Right now (5:47 pm PDT): about 26 minutes via US-101 North, usually 26 at this time.
Typical drive time by departure time
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 20 | 21 | 24 | 32 | 34 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 20 |
| Tue | 20 | 21 | 23 | 36 | 33 | 27 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 21 | 20 |
| Wed | 20 | 21 | 23 | 35 | 39 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 20 |
| Thu | 20 | 21 | 23 | 38 | 39 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 24 | 21 | 20 |
| Fri | 20 | 21 | 22 | 29 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 20 |
| Sat | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
| Sun | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 22-mile drive from Foster City to San Francisco (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 20 minutes and up to 40 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 22 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (30 minutes).
About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.4 miles surface streets (2 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Foster City to downtown San Francisco 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 Foster City to San Francisco?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 20 minutes then, versus up to 40 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Foster City to San Francisco?
The 22-mile drive usually takes 20 to 40 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 22 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Foster City to San Francisco?
Leaving around 8:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 40 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
US-101 North in Bay Area (19 miles) · SR-92 West in Bay Area (1.3 miles)
Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow
More drives
San Francisco to Foster City (return trip) · Foster City to San Jose