Best Time to Drive from Martinez to San Francisco

Right now (7:03 pm PDT): about 34 minutes via I-80 West and SR-4 West, usually 34 at this time.

Only 59% 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 Martinez 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	32	44	53	57	50	46	42	39	39	38	41	38	41	35	34	33	32
Tue	31	45	58	64	54	47	44	38	37	37	41	39	48	43	34	33	32
Wed	31	44	55	62	54	47	45	39	37	36	39	41	51	42	34	33	33
Thu	31	44	56	68	61	49	45	41	40	40	45	49	63	47	35	33	32
Fri	32	38	43	45	43	37	37	38	40	40	44	44	51	43	37	35	33
Sat	32	32	33	33	33	36	49	53	53	51	52	50	52	48	40	37	33
Sun	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	42	50	51	50	49	49	44	41	37	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from Martinez to San Francisco (via I-80 West and SR-4 West) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 68 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (54 minutes).

About 32 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Martinez 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 Martinez to San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 68 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 35-mile drive usually takes 31 to 68 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Martinez to San Francisco?

Leaving around 8 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 68 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (23 miles) · SR-4 West in Bay Area (9 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Martinez (return trip) · Martinez 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	32	44	53	57	50	46	42	39	39	38	41	38	41	35	34	33	32
Tue	31	45	58	64	54	47	44	38	37	37	41	39	48	43	34	33	32
Wed	31	44	55	62	54	47	45	39	37	36	39	41	51	42	34	33	33
Thu	31	44	56	68	61	49	45	41	40	40	45	49	63	47	35	33	32
Fri	32	38	43	45	43	37	37	38	40	40	44	44	51	43	37	35	33
Sat	32	32	33	33	33	36	49	53	53	51	52	50	52	48	40	37	33
Sun	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	42	50	51	50	49	49	44	41	37	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	44	53	57	50	46	42	39	39	38	41	38	41	35	34	33	32
Tue	31	45	58	64	54	47	44	38	37	37	41	39	48	43	34	33	32
Wed	31	44	55	62	54	47	45	39	37	36	39	41	51	42	34	33	33
Thu	31	44	56	68	61	49	45	41	40	40	45	49	63	47	35	33	32
Fri	32	38	43	45	43	37	37	38	40	40	44	44	51	43	37	35	33
Sat	32	32	33	33	33	36	49	53	53	51	52	50	52	48	40	37	33
Sun	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	42	50	51	50	49	49	44	41	37	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	44	53	57	50	46	42	39	39	38	41	38	41	35	34	33	32
Tue	31	45	58	64	54	47	44	38	37	37	41	39	48	43	34	33	32
Wed	31	44	55	62	54	47	45	39	37	36	39	41	51	42	34	33	33
Thu	31	44	56	68	61	49	45	41	40	40	45	49	63	47	35	33	32
Fri	32	38	43	45	43	37	37	38	40	40	44	44	51	43	37	35	33
Sat	32	32	33	33	33	36	49	53	53	51	52	50	52	48	40	37	33
Sun	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	42	50	51	50	49	49	44	41	37	33