Best Time to Drive from Lafayette to San Francisco

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 23 minutes via SR-24 West and I-80 West, usually 22 at this time.

Only 77% 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 Lafayette 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	21	27	30	34	31	30	27	25	24	23	23	24	26	25	22	22	21
Tue	20	27	34	35	34	33	30	24	23	22	23	26	33	35	22	22	21
Wed	20	26	32	33	34	32	32	25	22	22	23	26	35	33	23	22	21
Thu	20	27	31	33	33	33	30	27	24	23	24	29	48	37	23	22	21
Fri	20	25	27	26	26	25	22	22	23	24	26	29	38	34	25	22	21
Sat	21	21	23	23	23	24	34	39	38	37	34	31	31	32	26	25	22
Sun	21	21	21	22	25	25	27	31	32	37	34	33	31	28	26	25	22

About this drive

On weekdays the 22-mile drive from Lafayette to San Francisco (via SR-24 West and I-80 West) usually takes as little as 20 minutes and up to 48 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 25 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (39 minutes).

About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.9 miles surface streets (3 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Lafayette 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 Lafayette to San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 20 minutes then, versus up to 48 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 22-mile drive usually takes 20 to 48 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 25 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lafayette to San Francisco?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 48 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-24 West in Bay Area (11 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (8 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (1.2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Lafayette (return trip) · Lafayette 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	21	27	30	34	31	30	27	25	24	23	23	24	26	25	22	22	21
Tue	20	27	34	35	34	33	30	24	23	22	23	26	33	35	22	22	21
Wed	20	26	32	33	34	32	32	25	22	22	23	26	35	33	23	22	21
Thu	20	27	31	33	33	33	30	27	24	23	24	29	48	37	23	22	21
Fri	20	25	27	26	26	25	22	22	23	24	26	29	38	34	25	22	21
Sat	21	21	23	23	23	24	34	39	38	37	34	31	31	32	26	25	22
Sun	21	21	21	22	25	25	27	31	32	37	34	33	31	28	26	25	22

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	27	30	34	31	30	27	25	24	23	23	24	26	25	22	22	21
Tue	20	27	34	35	34	33	30	24	23	22	23	26	33	35	22	22	21
Wed	20	26	32	33	34	32	32	25	22	22	23	26	35	33	23	22	21
Thu	20	27	31	33	33	33	30	27	24	23	24	29	48	37	23	22	21
Fri	20	25	27	26	26	25	22	22	23	24	26	29	38	34	25	22	21
Sat	21	21	23	23	23	24	34	39	38	37	34	31	31	32	26	25	22
Sun	21	21	21	22	25	25	27	31	32	37	34	33	31	28	26	25	22

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	27	30	34	31	30	27	25	24	23	23	24	26	25	22	22	21
Tue	20	27	34	35	34	33	30	24	23	22	23	26	33	35	22	22	21
Wed	20	26	32	33	34	32	32	25	22	22	23	26	35	33	23	22	21
Thu	20	27	31	33	33	33	30	27	24	23	24	29	48	37	23	22	21
Fri	20	25	27	26	26	25	22	22	23	24	26	29	38	34	25	22	21
Sat	21	21	23	23	23	24	34	39	38	37	34	31	31	32	26	25	22
Sun	21	21	21	22	25	25	27	31	32	37	34	33	31	28	26	25	22