Best Time to Drive from Napa to Oakland

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 51 minutes via I-80 West, usually 48 at this time.

Only 58% 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 Napa 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	47	56	70	70	61	57	57	56	56	56	55	53	51	48	48	47	47
Tue	46	56	79	78	64	56	55	54	54	55	55	53	53	49	48	47	47
Wed	46	55	73	76	61	55	55	54	54	53	56	54	56	49	48	48	47
Thu	46	55	77	79	65	57	55	56	55	58	59	58	56	51	48	47	46
Fri	46	51	56	62	54	54	54	55	56	57	57	55	54	51	49	48	46
Sat	47	47	47	48	49	52	56	56	55	55	56	57	58	55	53	51	47
Sun	47	47	46	46	47	49	53	56	57	58	59	58	58	58	55	50	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Napa to Oakland (via I-80 West) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 79 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Sundays (59 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 14 miles surface streets (20 to 29 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Napa to downtown Oakland 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 Napa to Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 79 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Napa to Oakland?

The 44-mile drive usually takes 46 to 79 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Napa to Oakland?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 79 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (27 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (1.4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Oakland to Napa (return trip) · Napa to San Jose · Napa to San Francisco · Napa to Sacramento

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	56	70	70	61	57	57	56	56	56	55	53	51	48	48	47	47
Tue	46	56	79	78	64	56	55	54	54	55	55	53	53	49	48	47	47
Wed	46	55	73	76	61	55	55	54	54	53	56	54	56	49	48	48	47
Thu	46	55	77	79	65	57	55	56	55	58	59	58	56	51	48	47	46
Fri	46	51	56	62	54	54	54	55	56	57	57	55	54	51	49	48	46
Sat	47	47	47	48	49	52	56	56	55	55	56	57	58	55	53	51	47
Sun	47	47	46	46	47	49	53	56	57	58	59	58	58	58	55	50	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	56	70	70	61	57	57	56	56	56	55	53	51	48	48	47	47
Tue	46	56	79	78	64	56	55	54	54	55	55	53	53	49	48	47	47
Wed	46	55	73	76	61	55	55	54	54	53	56	54	56	49	48	48	47
Thu	46	55	77	79	65	57	55	56	55	58	59	58	56	51	48	47	46
Fri	46	51	56	62	54	54	54	55	56	57	57	55	54	51	49	48	46
Sat	47	47	47	48	49	52	56	56	55	55	56	57	58	55	53	51	47
Sun	47	47	46	46	47	49	53	56	57	58	59	58	58	58	55	50	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	56	70	70	61	57	57	56	56	56	55	53	51	48	48	47	47
Tue	46	56	79	78	64	56	55	54	54	55	55	53	53	49	48	47	47
Wed	46	55	73	76	61	55	55	54	54	53	56	54	56	49	48	48	47
Thu	46	55	77	79	65	57	55	56	55	58	59	58	56	51	48	47	46
Fri	46	51	56	62	54	54	54	55	56	57	57	55	54	51	49	48	46
Sat	47	47	47	48	49	52	56	56	55	55	56	57	58	55	53	51	47
Sun	47	47	46	46	47	49	53	56	57	58	59	58	58	58	55	50	47