Best Time to Drive from Mountain View to Richmond

Right now (3:35 pm PST): about 70 minutes via I-880 North, usually 95 at this time.

Only 34% 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 Richmond 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	50	53	60	66	62	58	57	57	58	67	79	83	83	67	57	53	51
Tue	50	53	60	73	65	59	57	57	59	70	87	97	96	76	64	55	51
Wed	50	53	60	72	63	58	58	58	59	72	89	100	97	80	64	55	51
Thu	50	54	61	75	65	58	58	58	59	70	93	97	97	79	64	56	52
Fri	50	53	58	62	58	58	58	60	65	78	91	93	87	73	62	55	51
Sat	51	51	51	51	52	54	58	60	61	64	65	65	62	57	56	55	52
Sun	50	51	51	51	51	53	54	55	58	58	58	59	57	56	55	54	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from Mountain View to Richmond (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 101 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 61 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (65 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (10 to 23 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 central Richmond (Macdonald Avenue) 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 Richmond?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 101 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 53-mile drive usually takes 50 to 101 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mountain View to Richmond?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 101 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (25 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (8 miles) · SR-84 North in Bay Area (5 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (4 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (3 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (1.4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

Mountain View to Richmond over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Richmond 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 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	50	53	60	66	62	58	57	57	58	67	79	83	83	67	57	53	51
Tue	50	53	60	73	65	59	57	57	59	70	87	97	96	76	64	55	51
Wed	50	53	60	72	63	58	58	58	59	72	89	100	97	80	64	55	51
Thu	50	54	61	75	65	58	58	58	59	70	93	97	97	79	64	56	52
Fri	50	53	58	62	58	58	58	60	65	78	91	93	87	73	62	55	51
Sat	51	51	51	51	52	54	58	60	61	64	65	65	62	57	56	55	52
Sun	50	51	51	51	51	53	54	55	58	58	58	59	57	56	55	54	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	53	60	66	62	58	57	57	58	67	79	83	83	67	57	53	51
Tue	50	53	60	73	65	59	57	57	59	70	87	97	96	76	64	55	51
Wed	50	53	60	72	63	58	58	58	59	72	89	100	97	80	64	55	51
Thu	50	54	61	75	65	58	58	58	59	70	93	97	97	79	64	56	52
Fri	50	53	58	62	58	58	58	60	65	78	91	93	87	73	62	55	51
Sat	51	51	51	51	52	54	58	60	61	64	65	65	62	57	56	55	52
Sun	50	51	51	51	51	53	54	55	58	58	58	59	57	56	55	54	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	53	60	66	62	58	57	57	58	67	79	83	83	67	57	53	51
Tue	50	53	60	73	65	59	57	57	59	70	87	97	96	76	64	55	51
Wed	50	53	60	72	63	58	58	58	59	72	89	100	97	80	64	55	51
Thu	50	54	61	75	65	58	58	58	59	70	93	97	97	79	64	56	52
Fri	50	53	58	62	58	58	58	60	65	78	91	93	87	73	62	55	51
Sat	51	51	51	51	52	54	58	60	61	64	65	65	62	57	56	55	52
Sun	50	51	51	51	51	53	54	55	58	58	58	59	57	56	55	54	51