Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Napa to San Rafael
Right now (7:06 pm PDT): about 46 minutes via SR-37 West and US-101 South, usually 45 at this time.
Only 25% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 45 | 46 | 51 | 50 | 48 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 |
| Tue | 44 | 47 | 55 | 54 | 52 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 |
| Wed | 45 | 47 | 53 | 53 | 49 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 |
| Thu | 44 | 46 | 55 | 56 | 51 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 46 |
| Fri | 45 | 45 | 52 | 48 | 46 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 45 |
| Sat | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Sun | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 48 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 36-mile drive from Napa to San Rafael (via SR-37 West and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 58 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (50 minutes).
About 16 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 20 miles surface streets (29 to 30 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Napa to central San Rafael 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 Rafael?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9:30 am. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 58 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Napa to San Rafael?
The 36-mile drive usually takes 44 to 58 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Napa to San Rafael?
Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 58 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
SR-37 West in Bay Area (9 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (7 miles)
Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow
More drives
San Rafael to Napa (return trip) · Napa to San Jose · Napa to San Francisco · Napa to Sacramento · 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