Best Time to Drive from Napa to Sacramento

Right now (9:05 am PST): about 66 minutes via I-80 East, usually 68 at this time.

Only 71% 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 Sacramento 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	56	59	70	69	68	66	67	67	67	68	69	67	64	60	57	57	57
Tue	56	60	71	71	68	65	65	65	65	67	74	79	68	61	57	57	56
Wed	56	60	72	70	67	65	65	65	65	68	73	79	72	62	57	57	57
Thu	56	59	70	70	67	65	66	65	67	69	76	80	70	61	58	57	56
Fri	56	58	62	67	63	64	64	67	70	77	81	77	71	65	62	58	56
Sat	57	56	56	57	59	61	63	65	66	66	65	63	62	60	59	58	56
Sun	56	56	56	56	57	58	61	62	62	62	62	61	61	60	58	59	56

About this drive

On weekdays the 60-mile drive from Napa to Sacramento (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 56 minutes and up to 81 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 67 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (66 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (11 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Napa to downtown Sacramento (the Capitol) 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 Sacramento?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 56 minutes then, versus up to 81 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 60-mile drive usually takes 56 to 81 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 67 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Napa to Sacramento?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 81 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Sacramento (21 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (20 miles) · SR-12 East in Bay Area (6 miles) · US-50 East in Sacramento (3 miles) · I-5 North in Sacramento (1 mile)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow · Sacramento traffic right now · Sacramento traffic tomorrow

More drives

Sacramento to Napa (return trip) · Napa to San Jose · Napa to San Francisco · Napa to Oakland · Napa to Stockton · Napa to Fremont · Napa to Santa Rosa · Napa to Elk Grove · Napa to Hayward · Napa to Sunnyvale · Napa to Roseville · Napa to Concord

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	59	70	69	68	66	67	67	67	68	69	67	64	60	57	57	57
Tue	56	60	71	71	68	65	65	65	65	67	74	79	68	61	57	57	56
Wed	56	60	72	70	67	65	65	65	65	68	73	79	72	62	57	57	57
Thu	56	59	70	70	67	65	66	65	67	69	76	80	70	61	58	57	56
Fri	56	58	62	67	63	64	64	67	70	77	81	77	71	65	62	58	56
Sat	57	56	56	57	59	61	63	65	66	66	65	63	62	60	59	58	56
Sun	56	56	56	56	57	58	61	62	62	62	62	61	61	60	58	59	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	59	70	69	68	66	67	67	67	68	69	67	64	60	57	57	57
Tue	56	60	71	71	68	65	65	65	65	67	74	79	68	61	57	57	56
Wed	56	60	72	70	67	65	65	65	65	68	73	79	72	62	57	57	57
Thu	56	59	70	70	67	65	66	65	67	69	76	80	70	61	58	57	56
Fri	56	58	62	67	63	64	64	67	70	77	81	77	71	65	62	58	56
Sat	57	56	56	57	59	61	63	65	66	66	65	63	62	60	59	58	56
Sun	56	56	56	56	57	58	61	62	62	62	62	61	61	60	58	59	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	59	70	69	68	66	67	67	67	68	69	67	64	60	57	57	57
Tue	56	60	71	71	68	65	65	65	65	67	74	79	68	61	57	57	56
Wed	56	60	72	70	67	65	65	65	65	68	73	79	72	62	57	57	57
Thu	56	59	70	70	67	65	66	65	67	69	76	80	70	61	58	57	56
Fri	56	58	62	67	63	64	64	67	70	77	81	77	71	65	62	58	56
Sat	57	56	56	57	59	61	63	65	66	66	65	63	62	60	59	58	56
Sun	56	56	56	56	57	58	61	62	62	62	62	61	61	60	58	59	56