Best Time to Drive from Napa to San Francisco

Right now (7:32 pm PDT): about 72 minutes via I-80 West, usually 57 at this time.

Only 57% 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 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	52	66	83	81	72	69	65	61	60	60	60	58	57	53	52	52	51
Tue	52	69	91	88	76	69	64	59	58	59	59	59	69	56	52	52	51
Wed	51	68	85	88	75	70	65	60	59	57	60	63	69	57	52	52	51
Thu	52	68	87	89	76	70	66	62	61	62	64	74	79	60	53	52	51
Fri	52	60	67	70	62	60	59	61	61	62	63	67	71	61	55	53	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	53	59	73	76	74	71	69	69	70	64	58	56	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	52	55	60	65	75	72	72	67	67	62	58	56	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 49-mile drive from Napa to San Francisco (via I-80 West) usually takes as little as 51 minutes and up to 91 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 61 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (76 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 14 miles surface streets (20 to 28 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Napa to downtown San Francisco 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 San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 51 minutes then, versus up to 91 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Napa to San Francisco?

The 49-mile drive usually takes 51 to 91 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Napa to San Francisco?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 91 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (35 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	66	83	81	72	69	65	61	60	60	60	58	57	53	52	52	51
Tue	52	69	91	88	76	69	64	59	58	59	59	59	69	56	52	52	51
Wed	51	68	85	88	75	70	65	60	59	57	60	63	69	57	52	52	51
Thu	52	68	87	89	76	70	66	62	61	62	64	74	79	60	53	52	51
Fri	52	60	67	70	62	60	59	61	61	62	63	67	71	61	55	53	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	53	59	73	76	74	71	69	69	70	64	58	56	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	52	55	60	65	75	72	72	67	67	62	58	56	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	66	83	81	72	69	65	61	60	60	60	58	57	53	52	52	51
Tue	52	69	91	88	76	69	64	59	58	59	59	59	69	56	52	52	51
Wed	51	68	85	88	75	70	65	60	59	57	60	63	69	57	52	52	51
Thu	52	68	87	89	76	70	66	62	61	62	64	74	79	60	53	52	51
Fri	52	60	67	70	62	60	59	61	61	62	63	67	71	61	55	53	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	53	59	73	76	74	71	69	69	70	64	58	56	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	52	55	60	65	75	72	72	67	67	62	58	56	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	66	83	81	72	69	65	61	60	60	60	58	57	53	52	52	51
Tue	52	69	91	88	76	69	64	59	58	59	59	59	69	56	52	52	51
Wed	51	68	85	88	75	70	65	60	59	57	60	63	69	57	52	52	51
Thu	52	68	87	89	76	70	66	62	61	62	64	74	79	60	53	52	51
Fri	52	60	67	70	62	60	59	61	61	62	63	67	71	61	55	53	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	53	59	73	76	74	71	69	69	70	64	58	56	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	52	55	60	65	75	72	72	67	67	62	58	56	51