Best Time to Drive from Hercules to San Francisco

Right now (6:21 am PST): about 31 minutes via I-80 West, usually 40 at this time.

Only 73% 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	22	32	41	51	42	33	31	29	28	28	30	29	30	27	25	24	24
Tue	22	32	46	57	49	38	34	29	27	27	30	29	33	33	25	24	23
Wed	22	31	44	53	47	37	36	30	27	27	30	30	40	36	25	24	23
Thu	22	32	46	57	47	39	36	31	30	30	35	36	52	41	27	24	23
Fri	23	28	34	38	34	29	29	29	30	31	34	34	42	38	31	26	24
Sat	23	23	23	24	25	28	39	42	42	41	42	39	40	39	33	28	26
Sun	23	23	23	23	24	25	30	34	39	41	41	38	38	36	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 57 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 30 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (43 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 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 22 minutes then, versus up to 57 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 57 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 57 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 · Hercules to Sacramento · Hercules to Oakland · Hercules to Stockton · Hercules to Fremont · Hercules to Santa Rosa

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	22	32	41	51	42	33	31	29	28	28	30	29	30	27	25	24	24
Tue	22	32	46	57	49	38	34	29	27	27	30	29	33	33	25	24	23
Wed	22	31	44	53	47	37	36	30	27	27	30	30	40	36	25	24	23
Thu	22	32	46	57	47	39	36	31	30	30	35	36	52	41	27	24	23
Fri	23	28	34	38	34	29	29	29	30	31	34	34	42	38	31	26	24
Sat	23	23	23	24	25	28	39	42	42	41	42	39	40	39	33	28	26
Sun	23	23	23	23	24	25	30	34	39	41	41	38	38	36	32	28	24

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	22	32	41	51	42	33	31	29	28	28	30	29	30	27	25	24	24
Tue	22	32	46	57	49	38	34	29	27	27	30	29	33	33	25	24	23
Wed	22	31	44	53	47	37	36	30	27	27	30	30	40	36	25	24	23
Thu	22	32	46	57	47	39	36	31	30	30	35	36	52	41	27	24	23
Fri	23	28	34	38	34	29	29	29	30	31	34	34	42	38	31	26	24
Sat	23	23	23	24	25	28	39	42	42	41	42	39	40	39	33	28	26
Sun	23	23	23	23	24	25	30	34	39	41	41	38	38	36	32	28	24

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	22	32	41	51	42	33	31	29	28	28	30	29	30	27	25	24	24
Tue	22	32	46	57	49	38	34	29	27	27	30	29	33	33	25	24	23
Wed	22	31	44	53	47	37	36	30	27	27	30	30	40	36	25	24	23
Thu	22	32	46	57	47	39	36	31	30	30	35	36	52	41	27	24	23
Fri	23	28	34	38	34	29	29	29	30	31	34	34	42	38	31	26	24
Sat	23	23	23	24	25	28	39	42	42	41	42	39	40	39	33	28	26
Sun	23	23	23	23	24	25	30	34	39	41	41	38	38	36	32	28	24