Best Time to Drive from Newark to Oakland

Right now (6:18 pm PDT): about 42 minutes via I-880 North, usually 34 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 Newark to Oakland 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	26	28	30	39	36	31	31	31	31	34	38	37	36	33	29	27	26
Tue	26	27	30	47	41	31	30	30	31	34	37	40	41	38	33	30	26
Wed	26	27	29	45	37	31	30	31	31	35	38	42	42	37	33	30	26
Thu	26	27	30	49	41	32	31	31	31	33	41	45	43	40	33	30	26
Fri	26	27	29	36	32	30	31	32	33	35	40	42	41	37	33	30	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	27	28	30	32	31	32	33	32	32	31	29	28	27
Sun	26	26	26	27	27	27	28	28	29	28	30	29	29	29	28	28	27

About this drive

On weekdays the 26-mile drive from Newark to Oakland (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 49 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 32 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (33 minutes).

About 23 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (6 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Newark to downtown Oakland 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 Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 49 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 26-mile drive usually takes 26 to 49 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 32 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Newark to Oakland?

Leaving around 8 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 49 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (21 miles) · SR-84 North in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Oakland 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 Bayside · Newark to Parkchester

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	28	30	39	36	31	31	31	31	34	38	37	36	33	29	27	26
Tue	26	27	30	47	41	31	30	30	31	34	37	40	41	38	33	30	26
Wed	26	27	29	45	37	31	30	31	31	35	38	42	42	37	33	30	26
Thu	26	27	30	49	41	32	31	31	31	33	41	45	43	40	33	30	26
Fri	26	27	29	36	32	30	31	32	33	35	40	42	41	37	33	30	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	27	28	30	32	31	32	33	32	32	31	29	28	27
Sun	26	26	26	27	27	27	28	28	29	28	30	29	29	29	28	28	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	28	30	39	36	31	31	31	31	34	38	37	36	33	29	27	26
Tue	26	27	30	47	41	31	30	30	31	34	37	40	41	38	33	30	26
Wed	26	27	29	45	37	31	30	31	31	35	38	42	42	37	33	30	26
Thu	26	27	30	49	41	32	31	31	31	33	41	45	43	40	33	30	26
Fri	26	27	29	36	32	30	31	32	33	35	40	42	41	37	33	30	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	27	28	30	32	31	32	33	32	32	31	29	28	27
Sun	26	26	26	27	27	27	28	28	29	28	30	29	29	29	28	28	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	28	30	39	36	31	31	31	31	34	38	37	36	33	29	27	26
Tue	26	27	30	47	41	31	30	30	31	34	37	40	41	38	33	30	26
Wed	26	27	29	45	37	31	30	31	31	35	38	42	42	37	33	30	26
Thu	26	27	30	49	41	32	31	31	31	33	41	45	43	40	33	30	26
Fri	26	27	29	36	32	30	31	32	33	35	40	42	41	37	33	30	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	27	28	30	32	31	32	33	32	32	31	29	28	27
Sun	26	26	26	27	27	27	28	28	29	28	30	29	29	29	28	28	27