Best Time to Drive from Hercules to San Francisco

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 26 minutes via I-80 West, usually 25 at this time.

Only 74% 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 Hercules 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	23	32	40	48	42	37	33	31	30	28	31	28	30	26	25	24	24
Tue	22	33	46	60	53	40	35	29	27	27	31	29	35	36	25	25	24
Wed	22	31	44	54	47	37	36	31	27	27	29	30	40	35	25	24	23
Thu	22	32	44	58	53	41	36	33	31	30	35	37	52	40	27	24	23
Fri	23	28	33	38	35	28	28	28	30	31	34	32	40	37	29	26	24
Sat	23	23	23	24	24	26	38	44	44	42	42	40	41	41	33	28	25
Sun	23	23	23	23	24	25	30	33	38	42	40	39	38	35	32	28	24

About this drive

On weekdays the 25-mile drive from Hercules to San Francisco (via I-80 West) usually takes as little as 22 minutes and up to 60 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 30 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 24 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.9 miles surface streets (3 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Hercules 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 Hercules to San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 22 minutes then, versus up to 60 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 25-mile drive usually takes 22 to 60 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 30 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Hercules to San Francisco?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 60 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (23 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Hercules (return trip) · Hercules to San Jose

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	23	32	40	48	42	37	33	31	30	28	31	28	30	26	25	24	24
Tue	22	33	46	60	53	40	35	29	27	27	31	29	35	36	25	25	24
Wed	22	31	44	54	47	37	36	31	27	27	29	30	40	35	25	24	23
Thu	22	32	44	58	53	41	36	33	31	30	35	37	52	40	27	24	23
Fri	23	28	33	38	35	28	28	28	30	31	34	32	40	37	29	26	24
Sat	23	23	23	24	24	26	38	44	44	42	42	40	41	41	33	28	25
Sun	23	23	23	23	24	25	30	33	38	42	40	39	38	35	32	28	24

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	23	32	40	48	42	37	33	31	30	28	31	28	30	26	25	24	24
Tue	22	33	46	60	53	40	35	29	27	27	31	29	35	36	25	25	24
Wed	22	31	44	54	47	37	36	31	27	27	29	30	40	35	25	24	23
Thu	22	32	44	58	53	41	36	33	31	30	35	37	52	40	27	24	23
Fri	23	28	33	38	35	28	28	28	30	31	34	32	40	37	29	26	24
Sat	23	23	23	24	24	26	38	44	44	42	42	40	41	41	33	28	25
Sun	23	23	23	23	24	25	30	33	38	42	40	39	38	35	32	28	24

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	23	32	40	48	42	37	33	31	30	28	31	28	30	26	25	24	24
Tue	22	33	46	60	53	40	35	29	27	27	31	29	35	36	25	25	24
Wed	22	31	44	54	47	37	36	31	27	27	29	30	40	35	25	24	23
Thu	22	32	44	58	53	41	36	33	31	30	35	37	52	40	27	24	23
Fri	23	28	33	38	35	28	28	28	30	31	34	32	40	37	29	26	24
Sat	23	23	23	24	24	26	38	44	44	42	42	40	41	41	33	28	25
Sun	23	23	23	23	24	25	30	33	38	42	40	39	38	35	32	28	24