Best Time to Drive from Napa to Walnut Creek

Right now (12:20 am PDT): about 37 minutes via I-680 South.

Only 72% 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 Walnut Creek 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	41	52	52	47	44	44	44	43	43	42	39	38	37	37	37	37
Tue	36	41	54	54	48	44	43	42	42	42	41	40	39	37	37	37	36
Wed	36	41	52	52	46	43	43	43	42	42	41	40	39	37	37	37	36
Thu	36	41	52	53	48	43	43	43	42	42	41	40	39	38	37	37	37
Fri	36	40	43	49	42	42	42	42	42	43	43	41	40	38	37	36	36
Sat	37	37	37	37	37	39	40	41	41	40	40	40	39	38	38	38	36
Sun	37	36	37	36	37	38	40	41	41	42	42	42	41	41	39	38	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from Napa to Walnut Creek (via I-680 South) usually takes as little as 36 minutes and up to 55 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 5 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Sundays (43 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (10 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Napa to central Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 5 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 55 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Napa to Walnut Creek?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 36 to 55 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Napa to Walnut Creek?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 55 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 South in Bay Area (23 miles) · SR-12 East in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (1.2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Walnut Creek 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

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	41	52	52	47	44	44	44	43	43	42	39	38	37	37	37	37
Tue	36	41	54	54	48	44	43	42	42	42	41	40	39	37	37	37	36
Wed	36	41	52	52	46	43	43	43	42	42	41	40	39	37	37	37	36
Thu	36	41	52	53	48	43	43	43	42	42	41	40	39	38	37	37	37
Fri	36	40	43	49	42	42	42	42	42	43	43	41	40	38	37	36	36
Sat	37	37	37	37	37	39	40	41	41	40	40	40	39	38	38	38	36
Sun	37	36	37	36	37	38	40	41	41	42	42	42	41	41	39	38	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	41	52	52	47	44	44	44	43	43	42	39	38	37	37	37	37
Tue	36	41	54	54	48	44	43	42	42	42	41	40	39	37	37	37	36
Wed	36	41	52	52	46	43	43	43	42	42	41	40	39	37	37	37	36
Thu	36	41	52	53	48	43	43	43	42	42	41	40	39	38	37	37	37
Fri	36	40	43	49	42	42	42	42	42	43	43	41	40	38	37	36	36
Sat	37	37	37	37	37	39	40	41	41	40	40	40	39	38	38	38	36
Sun	37	36	37	36	37	38	40	41	41	42	42	42	41	41	39	38	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	41	52	52	47	44	44	44	43	43	42	39	38	37	37	37	37
Tue	36	41	54	54	48	44	43	42	42	42	41	40	39	37	37	37	36
Wed	36	41	52	52	46	43	43	43	42	42	41	40	39	37	37	37	36
Thu	36	41	52	53	48	43	43	43	42	42	41	40	39	38	37	37	37
Fri	36	40	43	49	42	42	42	42	42	43	43	41	40	38	37	36	36
Sat	37	37	37	37	37	39	40	41	41	40	40	40	39	38	38	38	36
Sun	37	36	37	36	37	38	40	41	41	42	42	42	41	41	39	38	37