Best Time to Drive from Mountain View to Oakland

Right now (10:47 pm PDT): about 40 minutes via I-880 North and US-101 North.

Only 48% 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 Oakland 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	39	42	46	54	49	46	46	45	46	49	59	55	56	52	44	41	40
Tue	39	41	47	61	53	46	45	45	46	49	61	66	67	61	51	43	40
Wed	39	41	47	59	50	46	45	45	46	52	63	65	68	63	50	43	40
Thu	39	41	47	62	52	45	45	45	46	50	68	69	69	63	51	44	42
Fri	39	41	45	51	46	46	45	46	48	52	60	59	58	53	47	43	40
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	42	45	46	45	48	47	48	48	46	44	43	41
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	43	43	43	44	43	43	44	43	42	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from Mountain View to Oakland (via I-880 North and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 71 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 47 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (9 to 19 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 downtown Oakland (Broadway) 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 Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 71 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 41-mile drive usually takes 39 to 71 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 47 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mountain View to Oakland?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 71 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (21 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

Oakland to Mountain View (return trip) · Mountain View to San Francisco · 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 · Mountain View to OAK

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	42	46	54	49	46	46	45	46	49	59	55	56	52	44	41	40
Tue	39	41	47	61	53	46	45	45	46	49	61	66	67	61	51	43	40
Wed	39	41	47	59	50	46	45	45	46	52	63	65	68	63	50	43	40
Thu	39	41	47	62	52	45	45	45	46	50	68	69	69	63	51	44	42
Fri	39	41	45	51	46	46	45	46	48	52	60	59	58	53	47	43	40
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	42	45	46	45	48	47	48	48	46	44	43	41
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	43	43	43	44	43	43	44	43	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	42	46	54	49	46	46	45	46	49	59	55	56	52	44	41	40
Tue	39	41	47	61	53	46	45	45	46	49	61	66	67	61	51	43	40
Wed	39	41	47	59	50	46	45	45	46	52	63	65	68	63	50	43	40
Thu	39	41	47	62	52	45	45	45	46	50	68	69	69	63	51	44	42
Fri	39	41	45	51	46	46	45	46	48	52	60	59	58	53	47	43	40
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	42	45	46	45	48	47	48	48	46	44	43	41
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	43	43	43	44	43	43	44	43	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	42	46	54	49	46	46	45	46	49	59	55	56	52	44	41	40
Tue	39	41	47	61	53	46	45	45	46	49	61	66	67	61	51	43	40
Wed	39	41	47	59	50	46	45	45	46	52	63	65	68	63	50	43	40
Thu	39	41	47	62	52	45	45	45	46	50	68	69	69	63	51	44	42
Fri	39	41	45	51	46	46	45	46	48	52	60	59	58	53	47	43	40
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	42	45	46	45	48	47	48	48	46	44	43	41
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	43	43	43	44	43	43	44	43	42	40