Best Time to Drive from Hayward to San Francisco

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 37 minutes via I-580 East and I-80 West, usually 32 at this time.

Only 32% 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 Hayward to San Francisco 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	29	35	38	41	39	38	35	33	32	32	34	36	38	33	31	30	29
Tue	29	35	39	41	41	39	38	33	32	32	34	39	47	41	32	30	29
Wed	29	34	38	43	43	39	38	33	32	32	34	39	47	40	31	30	29
Thu	29	35	38	48	41	39	37	34	32	33	35	43	57	44	31	30	29
Fri	29	32	34	34	35	33	32	32	34	35	38	42	47	40	34	31	29
Sat	29	29	29	29	30	31	37	42	41	40	40	36	36	36	32	31	29
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	33	35	37	39	37	36	35	33	31	31	29

About this drive

On weekdays the 27-mile drive from Hayward to San Francisco (via I-580 East and I-80 West) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 57 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (42 minutes).

About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (11 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Hayward (Mission Boulevard) to downtown San Francisco (Market Street) 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 Hayward to San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 57 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Hayward to San Francisco?

The 27-mile drive usually takes 29 to 57 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Hayward to San Francisco?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 57 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 East in Bay Area (15 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (6 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Hayward (return trip) · Hayward to Oakland · Hayward to San Jose · Hayward to Palo Alto · Hayward to Berkeley · Hayward to Fremont · Hayward to Mountain View · Hayward to Pleasanton · Hayward to Santa Clara · Hayward to Richmond · Hayward to SFO · Hayward 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	29	35	38	41	39	38	35	33	32	32	34	36	38	33	31	30	29
Tue	29	35	39	41	41	39	38	33	32	32	34	39	47	41	32	30	29
Wed	29	34	38	43	43	39	38	33	32	32	34	39	47	40	31	30	29
Thu	29	35	38	48	41	39	37	34	32	33	35	43	57	44	31	30	29
Fri	29	32	34	34	35	33	32	32	34	35	38	42	47	40	34	31	29
Sat	29	29	29	29	30	31	37	42	41	40	40	36	36	36	32	31	29
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	33	35	37	39	37	36	35	33	31	31	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	35	38	41	39	38	35	33	32	32	34	36	38	33	31	30	29
Tue	29	35	39	41	41	39	38	33	32	32	34	39	47	41	32	30	29
Wed	29	34	38	43	43	39	38	33	32	32	34	39	47	40	31	30	29
Thu	29	35	38	48	41	39	37	34	32	33	35	43	57	44	31	30	29
Fri	29	32	34	34	35	33	32	32	34	35	38	42	47	40	34	31	29
Sat	29	29	29	29	30	31	37	42	41	40	40	36	36	36	32	31	29
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	33	35	37	39	37	36	35	33	31	31	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	35	38	41	39	38	35	33	32	32	34	36	38	33	31	30	29
Tue	29	35	39	41	41	39	38	33	32	32	34	39	47	41	32	30	29
Wed	29	34	38	43	43	39	38	33	32	32	34	39	47	40	31	30	29
Thu	29	35	38	48	41	39	37	34	32	33	35	43	57	44	31	30	29
Fri	29	32	34	34	35	33	32	32	34	35	38	42	47	40	34	31	29
Sat	29	29	29	29	30	31	37	42	41	40	40	36	36	36	32	31	29
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	33	35	37	39	37	36	35	33	31	31	29