Best Time to Drive from Mountain View to San Francisco

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 50 minutes via US-101 North, usually 45 at this time.

Only 54% 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 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	36	38	44	52	49	43	41	41	39	40	43	45	50	45	40	38	37
Tue	36	38	43	56	50	44	42	40	39	40	45	51	58	54	44	38	38
Wed	36	37	44	56	55	43	41	40	39	40	45	49	58	53	43	39	38
Thu	36	38	45	57	56	44	42	41	40	41	47	52	61	56	44	39	38
Fri	36	37	41	50	43	43	42	40	40	41	45	46	49	45	40	38	36
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	42	47	44	42	42	40	40	41	40	40	40	38
Sun	36	36	36	36	37	38	41	42	40	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from Mountain View to San Francisco (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 61 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm 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 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (47 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (4 to 9 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 San Francisco (Market Street) 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 San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 61 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Mountain View to San Francisco?

The 39-mile drive usually takes 35 to 61 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mountain View to San Francisco?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 61 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (36 miles) · SR-85 North in Bay Area (1.4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Mountain View (return trip) · 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 · 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	36	38	44	52	49	43	41	41	39	40	43	45	50	45	40	38	37
Tue	36	38	43	56	50	44	42	40	39	40	45	51	58	54	44	38	38
Wed	36	37	44	56	55	43	41	40	39	40	45	49	58	53	43	39	38
Thu	36	38	45	57	56	44	42	41	40	41	47	52	61	56	44	39	38
Fri	36	37	41	50	43	43	42	40	40	41	45	46	49	45	40	38	36
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	42	47	44	42	42	40	40	41	40	40	40	38
Sun	36	36	36	36	37	38	41	42	40	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	38	44	52	49	43	41	41	39	40	43	45	50	45	40	38	37
Tue	36	38	43	56	50	44	42	40	39	40	45	51	58	54	44	38	38
Wed	36	37	44	56	55	43	41	40	39	40	45	49	58	53	43	39	38
Thu	36	38	45	57	56	44	42	41	40	41	47	52	61	56	44	39	38
Fri	36	37	41	50	43	43	42	40	40	41	45	46	49	45	40	38	36
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	42	47	44	42	42	40	40	41	40	40	40	38
Sun	36	36	36	36	37	38	41	42	40	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	38	44	52	49	43	41	41	39	40	43	45	50	45	40	38	37
Tue	36	38	43	56	50	44	42	40	39	40	45	51	58	54	44	38	38
Wed	36	37	44	56	55	43	41	40	39	40	45	49	58	53	43	39	38
Thu	36	38	45	57	56	44	42	41	40	41	47	52	61	56	44	39	38
Fri	36	37	41	50	43	43	42	40	40	41	45	46	49	45	40	38	36
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	42	47	44	42	42	40	40	41	40	40	40	38
Sun	36	36	36	36	37	38	41	42	40	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	36