Best Time to Drive from Lincoln to Sacramento

Right now (9:21 pm PST): about 29 minutes via I-80 West and SR-65 South, usually 28 at this time.

Only 72% 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 Lincoln to Sacramento 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	28	29	34	39	33	31	32	32	33	35	38	37	36	30	29	29	29
Tue	28	29	41	44	37	32	32	32	32	34	38	40	38	33	29	29	28
Wed	28	29	39	44	35	32	32	32	33	35	38	40	40	33	29	29	28
Thu	28	29	37	43	35	32	32	32	33	35	40	42	40	33	29	29	28
Fri	28	29	31	34	32	32	32	34	36	38	42	40	37	35	31	29	28
Sat	28	28	28	29	29	30	32	33	33	34	34	32	32	31	29	29	28
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	29	30	31	32	32	30	30	30	29	29	29	28

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Lincoln to Sacramento (via I-80 West and SR-65 South) usually takes as little as 28 minutes and up to 48 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (35 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Lincoln to downtown Sacramento (the Capitol) 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 Lincoln to Sacramento?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 48 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Lincoln to Sacramento?

The 29-mile drive usually takes 28 to 48 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lincoln to Sacramento?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 48 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Sacramento (11 miles) · SR-65 South in Sacramento (8 miles) · SR-51 South in Sacramento (5 miles)

Sacramento traffic right now · Sacramento traffic tomorrow

More drives

Sacramento to Lincoln (return trip) · Lincoln to Stockton · Lincoln to Boston · Lincoln to Elk Grove · Lincoln to Fairfield · Lincoln to Antioch · Lincoln to Vacaville · Lincoln to Arden-Arcade · Lincoln to Citrus Heights

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	29	34	39	33	31	32	32	33	35	38	37	36	30	29	29	29
Tue	28	29	41	44	37	32	32	32	32	34	38	40	38	33	29	29	28
Wed	28	29	39	44	35	32	32	32	33	35	38	40	40	33	29	29	28
Thu	28	29	37	43	35	32	32	32	33	35	40	42	40	33	29	29	28
Fri	28	29	31	34	32	32	32	34	36	38	42	40	37	35	31	29	28
Sat	28	28	28	29	29	30	32	33	33	34	34	32	32	31	29	29	28
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	29	30	31	32	32	30	30	30	29	29	29	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	29	34	39	33	31	32	32	33	35	38	37	36	30	29	29	29
Tue	28	29	41	44	37	32	32	32	32	34	38	40	38	33	29	29	28
Wed	28	29	39	44	35	32	32	32	33	35	38	40	40	33	29	29	28
Thu	28	29	37	43	35	32	32	32	33	35	40	42	40	33	29	29	28
Fri	28	29	31	34	32	32	32	34	36	38	42	40	37	35	31	29	28
Sat	28	28	28	29	29	30	32	33	33	34	34	32	32	31	29	29	28
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	29	30	31	32	32	30	30	30	29	29	29	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	29	34	39	33	31	32	32	33	35	38	37	36	30	29	29	29
Tue	28	29	41	44	37	32	32	32	32	34	38	40	38	33	29	29	28
Wed	28	29	39	44	35	32	32	32	33	35	38	40	40	33	29	29	28
Thu	28	29	37	43	35	32	32	32	33	35	40	42	40	33	29	29	28
Fri	28	29	31	34	32	32	32	34	36	38	42	40	37	35	31	29	28
Sat	28	28	28	29	29	30	32	33	33	34	34	32	32	31	29	29	28
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	29	30	31	32	32	30	30	30	29	29	29	28