Best Time to Drive from Livermore to Sacramento

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 85 minutes via I-5 North and I-580 West, usually 81 at this time.

Only 9% 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 Livermore 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	81	173	151	114	84	85	84	83	82	81	81	82	82	81	81	82	82
Tue	82	174	155	129	95	86	84	83	82	81	80	83	82	81	80	81	81
Wed	82	178	172	139	98	85	84	84	82	81	81	82	82	82	80	80	80
Thu	82	175	166	127	90	84	84	82	82	81	81	82	82	81	80	81	81
Fri	84	172	140	111	101	86	84	84	83	82	82	83	83	81	80	80	80
Sat	82	80	81	81	83	81	83	82	82	86	82	82	82	82	81	82	82
Sun	81	81	81	81	81	81	82	82	81	82	83	101	143	114	82	83	80

About this drive

On weekdays the 87-mile drive from Livermore to Sacramento (via I-5 North and I-580 West) usually takes as little as 80 minutes and up to 182 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 9:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 83 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (143 minutes).

About 39 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 48 miles surface streets (4 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Livermore 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 Livermore to Sacramento?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9:30 am. The drive usually takes about 80 minutes then, versus up to 182 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 87-mile drive usually takes 80 to 182 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 83 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Livermore to Sacramento?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 182 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (19 miles) · I-5 North in Sacramento (12 miles) · I-5 North in Bay Area (8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow · Sacramento traffic right now · Sacramento traffic tomorrow

More drives

Sacramento to Livermore (return trip) · Livermore to San Jose · Livermore to San Francisco · Livermore to Oakland

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	173	151	114	84	85	84	83	82	81	81	82	82	81	81	82	82
Tue	82	174	155	129	95	86	84	83	82	81	80	83	82	81	80	81	81
Wed	82	178	172	139	98	85	84	84	82	81	81	82	82	82	80	80	80
Thu	82	175	166	127	90	84	84	82	82	81	81	82	82	81	80	81	81
Fri	84	172	140	111	101	86	84	84	83	82	82	83	83	81	80	80	80
Sat	82	80	81	81	83	81	83	82	82	86	82	82	82	82	81	82	82
Sun	81	81	81	81	81	81	82	82	81	82	83	101	143	114	82	83	80

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	173	151	114	84	85	84	83	82	81	81	82	82	81	81	82	82
Tue	82	174	155	129	95	86	84	83	82	81	80	83	82	81	80	81	81
Wed	82	178	172	139	98	85	84	84	82	81	81	82	82	82	80	80	80
Thu	82	175	166	127	90	84	84	82	82	81	81	82	82	81	80	81	81
Fri	84	172	140	111	101	86	84	84	83	82	82	83	83	81	80	80	80
Sat	82	80	81	81	83	81	83	82	82	86	82	82	82	82	81	82	82
Sun	81	81	81	81	81	81	82	82	81	82	83	101	143	114	82	83	80

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	173	151	114	84	85	84	83	82	81	81	82	82	81	81	82	82
Tue	82	174	155	129	95	86	84	83	82	81	80	83	82	81	80	81	81
Wed	82	178	172	139	98	85	84	84	82	81	81	82	82	82	80	80	80
Thu	82	175	166	127	90	84	84	82	82	81	81	82	82	81	80	81	81
Fri	84	172	140	111	101	86	84	84	83	82	82	83	83	81	80	80	80
Sat	82	80	81	81	83	81	83	82	82	86	82	82	82	82	81	82	82
Sun	81	81	81	81	81	81	82	82	81	82	83	101	143	114	82	83	80