Best Time to Drive from Menlo Park to San Francisco

Right now (5:47 pm PDT): about 44 minutes via US-101 North, usually 40 at this time.

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	44	43	35	33	33	32	32	33	33	36	34	32	31	30
Tue	29	30	33	50	45	37	33	32	32	31	32	36	41	40	33	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	48	50	36	33	32	32	32	32	35	40	39	33	31	30
Thu	29	30	34	53	52	36	33	33	32	32	33	37	43	42	34	31	30
Fri	29	30	32	40	35	33	34	33	32	32	33	35	37	36	33	31	29
Sat	30	30	29	30	30	34	39	35	35	33	32	32	31	31	31	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	32	34	33	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	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 54 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 32 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (39 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 11 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 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 54 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 54 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 54 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

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	44	43	35	33	33	32	32	33	33	36	34	32	31	30
Tue	29	30	33	50	45	37	33	32	32	31	32	36	41	40	33	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	48	50	36	33	32	32	32	32	35	40	39	33	31	30
Thu	29	30	34	53	52	36	33	33	32	32	33	37	43	42	34	31	30
Fri	29	30	32	40	35	33	34	33	32	32	33	35	37	36	33	31	29
Sat	30	30	29	30	30	34	39	35	35	33	32	32	31	31	31	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	32	34	33	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	34	44	43	35	33	33	32	32	33	33	36	34	32	31	30
Tue	29	30	33	50	45	37	33	32	32	31	32	36	41	40	33	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	48	50	36	33	32	32	32	32	35	40	39	33	31	30
Thu	29	30	34	53	52	36	33	33	32	32	33	37	43	42	34	31	30
Fri	29	30	32	40	35	33	34	33	32	32	33	35	37	36	33	31	29
Sat	30	30	29	30	30	34	39	35	35	33	32	32	31	31	31	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	32	34	33	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	34	44	43	35	33	33	32	32	33	33	36	34	32	31	30
Tue	29	30	33	50	45	37	33	32	32	31	32	36	41	40	33	31	30
Wed	29	30	33	48	50	36	33	32	32	32	32	35	40	39	33	31	30
Thu	29	30	34	53	52	36	33	33	32	32	33	37	43	42	34	31	30
Fri	29	30	32	40	35	33	34	33	32	32	33	35	37	36	33	31	29
Sat	30	30	29	30	30	34	39	35	35	33	32	32	31	31	31	31	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	32	34	33	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	30