Best Time to Drive from Newark to Berkeley

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 67 minutes via I-880 North and I-580 East, usually 41 at this time.

Only 64% 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 Newark to Berkeley 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	33	34	38	41	40	37	38	38	39	44	52	56	59	45	38	34	33
Tue	33	34	39	49	41	38	38	37	39	45	54	63	68	52	41	37	33
Wed	33	34	37	46	40	37	38	38	39	45	56	66	71	54	41	37	33
Thu	33	34	38	47	42	39	39	39	39	45	60	71	73	54	42	38	33
Fri	32	34	36	39	38	37	39	41	45	53	64	74	69	54	44	38	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	36	39	42	43	46	49	47	47	42	38	36	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	35	36	38	40	41	42	41	41	39	38	36	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from Newark to Berkeley (via I-880 North and I-580 East) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 74 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Newark to central Berkeley 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 Newark to Berkeley?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 74 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Newark to Berkeley?

The 35-mile drive usually takes 32 to 74 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Newark to Berkeley?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 74 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (16 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (9 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (3 miles) · SR-84 North in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Berkeley to Newark (return trip) · Newark to Brooklyn · Newark to East New York · Newark to San Jose · Newark to Borough Park · Newark to San Francisco · Newark to Sunset Park · Newark to Sheepshead Bay · Newark to Gravesend · Newark to New Rochelle · Newark to Oakland · Newark to Bayside

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	38	41	40	37	38	38	39	44	52	56	59	45	38	34	33
Tue	33	34	39	49	41	38	38	37	39	45	54	63	68	52	41	37	33
Wed	33	34	37	46	40	37	38	38	39	45	56	66	71	54	41	37	33
Thu	33	34	38	47	42	39	39	39	39	45	60	71	73	54	42	38	33
Fri	32	34	36	39	38	37	39	41	45	53	64	74	69	54	44	38	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	36	39	42	43	46	49	47	47	42	38	36	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	35	36	38	40	41	42	41	41	39	38	36	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	38	41	40	37	38	38	39	44	52	56	59	45	38	34	33
Tue	33	34	39	49	41	38	38	37	39	45	54	63	68	52	41	37	33
Wed	33	34	37	46	40	37	38	38	39	45	56	66	71	54	41	37	33
Thu	33	34	38	47	42	39	39	39	39	45	60	71	73	54	42	38	33
Fri	32	34	36	39	38	37	39	41	45	53	64	74	69	54	44	38	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	36	39	42	43	46	49	47	47	42	38	36	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	35	36	38	40	41	42	41	41	39	38	36	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	38	41	40	37	38	38	39	44	52	56	59	45	38	34	33
Tue	33	34	39	49	41	38	38	37	39	45	54	63	68	52	41	37	33
Wed	33	34	37	46	40	37	38	38	39	45	56	66	71	54	41	37	33
Thu	33	34	38	47	42	39	39	39	39	45	60	71	73	54	42	38	33
Fri	32	34	36	39	38	37	39	41	45	53	64	74	69	54	44	38	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	36	39	42	43	46	49	47	47	42	38	36	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	35	36	38	40	41	42	41	41	39	38	36	33