Best Time to Drive from Mountain View to OAK

Right now (1:04 pm PDT): about 40 minutes via I-880 North and US-101 North, usually 44 at this time.

Only 47% 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 Mountain View to OAK 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	37	39	45	56	49	45	45	44	44	47	58	52	55	49	42	39	37
Tue	37	39	45	63	53	47	43	43	44	48	57	62	67	59	49	41	38
Wed	37	39	45	60	49	44	44	44	44	49	58	62	65	58	49	41	38
Thu	37	38	45	63	52	44	44	44	45	49	64	65	67	60	49	42	38
Fri	37	39	43	50	44	44	44	45	46	50	58	58	57	51	46	41	38
Sat	38	38	38	38	38	39	42	44	44	46	45	46	46	44	42	41	39
Sun	37	37	38	37	38	39	40	41	40	40	41	41	41	41	40	40	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from Mountain View to OAK (via I-880 North and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 67 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (48 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (13 to 25 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Mountain View (Castro Street) to Oakland International Airport (OAK) (John Glenn Drive) 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 Mountain View to OAK?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 67 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Mountain View to OAK?

The 36-mile drive usually takes 37 to 67 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mountain View to OAK?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 67 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (14 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (8 miles) · SR-84 North in Bay Area (5 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (1.4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

OAK to Mountain View (return trip) · Mountain View to San Francisco · Mountain View to Oakland · Mountain View to San Jose · Mountain View to Berkeley · Mountain View to Fremont · Mountain View to Walnut Creek · Mountain View to San Mateo · Mountain View to Hayward · Mountain View to Pleasanton · Mountain View to Richmond · Mountain View to SFO

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	45	56	49	45	45	44	44	47	58	52	55	49	42	39	37
Tue	37	39	45	63	53	47	43	43	44	48	57	62	67	59	49	41	38
Wed	37	39	45	60	49	44	44	44	44	49	58	62	65	58	49	41	38
Thu	37	38	45	63	52	44	44	44	45	49	64	65	67	60	49	42	38
Fri	37	39	43	50	44	44	44	45	46	50	58	58	57	51	46	41	38
Sat	38	38	38	38	38	39	42	44	44	46	45	46	46	44	42	41	39
Sun	37	37	38	37	38	39	40	41	40	40	41	41	41	41	40	40	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	45	56	49	45	45	44	44	47	58	52	55	49	42	39	37
Tue	37	39	45	63	53	47	43	43	44	48	57	62	67	59	49	41	38
Wed	37	39	45	60	49	44	44	44	44	49	58	62	65	58	49	41	38
Thu	37	38	45	63	52	44	44	44	45	49	64	65	67	60	49	42	38
Fri	37	39	43	50	44	44	44	45	46	50	58	58	57	51	46	41	38
Sat	38	38	38	38	38	39	42	44	44	46	45	46	46	44	42	41	39
Sun	37	37	38	37	38	39	40	41	40	40	41	41	41	41	40	40	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	45	56	49	45	45	44	44	47	58	52	55	49	42	39	37
Tue	37	39	45	63	53	47	43	43	44	48	57	62	67	59	49	41	38
Wed	37	39	45	60	49	44	44	44	44	49	58	62	65	58	49	41	38
Thu	37	38	45	63	52	44	44	44	45	49	64	65	67	60	49	42	38
Fri	37	39	43	50	44	44	44	45	46	50	58	58	57	51	46	41	38
Sat	38	38	38	38	38	39	42	44	44	46	45	46	46	44	42	41	39
Sun	37	37	38	37	38	39	40	41	40	40	41	41	41	41	40	40	38