Best Time to Drive from Lincoln to Sacramento

Right now (5:47 pm PDT): about 42 minutes via I-80 West and SR-65 South, usually 32 at this time.

Only 7% 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	29	31	44	37	34	33	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	31	30	30	30
Tue	29	31	51	50	38	33	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	32	30	30	30
Wed	29	31	49	45	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	35	35	31	30	30	30
Thu	29	31	47	40	34	34	33	33	33	34	34	35	33	31	30	30	30
Fri	29	31	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	31	31	30	30
Sat	29	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	33	33	32	31	30	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	30	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	30	30	30	30

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 29 minutes and up to 53 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (33 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 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 53 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 29-mile drive usually takes 29 to 53 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 Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 53 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)

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	31	44	37	34	33	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	31	30	30	30
Tue	29	31	51	50	38	33	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	32	30	30	30
Wed	29	31	49	45	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	35	35	31	30	30	30
Thu	29	31	47	40	34	34	33	33	33	34	34	35	33	31	30	30	30
Fri	29	31	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	31	31	30	30
Sat	29	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	33	33	32	31	30	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	30	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	30	30	30	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	31	44	37	34	33	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	31	30	30	30
Tue	29	31	51	50	38	33	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	32	30	30	30
Wed	29	31	49	45	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	35	35	31	30	30	30
Thu	29	31	47	40	34	34	33	33	33	34	34	35	33	31	30	30	30
Fri	29	31	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	31	31	30	30
Sat	29	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	33	33	32	31	30	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	30	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	30	30	30	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	31	44	37	34	33	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	31	30	30	30
Tue	29	31	51	50	38	33	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	32	30	30	30
Wed	29	31	49	45	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	35	35	31	30	30	30
Thu	29	31	47	40	34	34	33	33	33	34	34	35	33	31	30	30	30
Fri	29	31	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	31	31	30	30
Sat	29	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	33	33	32	31	30	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	30	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	30	30	30	30