Best Time to Drive from Menlo Park to San Francisco

Right now (8:20 pm PST): about 30 minutes via US-101 North, usually 30 at this time.

Only 78% 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 Menlo Park 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	29	30	34	45	41	34	33	33	32	32	32	34	37	35	32	31	30
Tue	29	30	33	50	45	37	33	32	31	31	32	35	40	39	33	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	49	47	35	33	32	31	31	32	34	41	40	33	31	30
Thu	29	30	34	52	47	35	33	33	32	32	32	37	44	42	35	31	30
Fri	29	30	32	39	35	33	33	32	31	32	33	35	37	38	34	31	29
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	34	34	35	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	30	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Menlo Park to San Francisco (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 53 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 32 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (35 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 12 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Menlo Park 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 Menlo Park to San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 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 Menlo Park to San Francisco?

The 32-mile drive usually takes 29 to 53 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 32 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Menlo Park to San Francisco?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 53 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (28 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Menlo Park (return trip) · Menlo Park to San Jose · Menlo Park to Oakland · Menlo Park to Stockton · Menlo Park to Fremont · Menlo Park to Modesto · Menlo Park to Hayward · Menlo Park to Salinas · Menlo Park to Sunnyvale · Menlo Park to Concord

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	30	34	45	41	34	33	33	32	32	32	34	37	35	32	31	30
Tue	29	30	33	50	45	37	33	32	31	31	32	35	40	39	33	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	49	47	35	33	32	31	31	32	34	41	40	33	31	30
Thu	29	30	34	52	47	35	33	33	32	32	32	37	44	42	35	31	30
Fri	29	30	32	39	35	33	33	32	31	32	33	35	37	38	34	31	29
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	34	34	35	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	30	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	34	45	41	34	33	33	32	32	32	34	37	35	32	31	30
Tue	29	30	33	50	45	37	33	32	31	31	32	35	40	39	33	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	49	47	35	33	32	31	31	32	34	41	40	33	31	30
Thu	29	30	34	52	47	35	33	33	32	32	32	37	44	42	35	31	30
Fri	29	30	32	39	35	33	33	32	31	32	33	35	37	38	34	31	29
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	34	34	35	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	30	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	34	45	41	34	33	33	32	32	32	34	37	35	32	31	30
Tue	29	30	33	50	45	37	33	32	31	31	32	35	40	39	33	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	49	47	35	33	32	31	31	32	34	41	40	33	31	30
Thu	29	30	34	52	47	35	33	33	32	32	32	37	44	42	35	31	30
Fri	29	30	32	39	35	33	33	32	31	32	33	35	37	38	34	31	29
Sat	30	30	30	30	30	31	34	34	35	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	30	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	30