Best Time to Drive from Novato to Elk Grove

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 106 minutes via I-80 East, usually 90 at this time.

Only 70% 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 Novato to Elk Grove 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	86	89	93	92	94	96	97	98	96	102	104	102	94	90	88	87	86
Tue	86	89	96	93	93	94	94	95	96	103	112	112	100	90	88	86	87
Wed	86	90	95	95	94	94	95	94	96	101	109	111	100	91	89	86	86
Thu	86	89	95	92	92	94	95	95	97	108	112	112	99	91	89	86	86
Fri	86	88	90	91	92	93	95	98	103	112	114	106	101	95	92	87	87
Sat	86	86	87	88	89	92	93	93	97	98	98	96	94	91	90	87	85
Sun	86	86	85	86	87	89	91	92	92	93	92	91	93	91	89	88	85

About this drive

On weekdays the 89-mile drive from Novato to Elk Grove (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 86 minutes and up to 114 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 98 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (99 minutes).

About 75 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 14 miles surface streets (19 to 26 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Novato to central Elk Grove 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 Novato to Elk Grove?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 86 minutes then, versus up to 114 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Novato to Elk Grove?

The 89-mile drive usually takes 86 to 114 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 98 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Novato to Elk Grove?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 114 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Bay Area (26 miles) · I-80 East in Sacramento (21 miles) · SR-37 East in Bay Area (11 miles) · SR-99 South in Sacramento (11 miles) · US-50 East in Sacramento (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow · Sacramento traffic right now · Sacramento traffic tomorrow

More drives

Elk Grove to Novato (return trip) · Novato to San Jose · Novato to San Francisco · Novato to Sacramento · Novato to Oakland · Novato to Fremont · Novato to Santa Rosa

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	86	89	93	92	94	96	97	98	96	102	104	102	94	90	88	87	86
Tue	86	89	96	93	93	94	94	95	96	103	112	112	100	90	88	86	87
Wed	86	90	95	95	94	94	95	94	96	101	109	111	100	91	89	86	86
Thu	86	89	95	92	92	94	95	95	97	108	112	112	99	91	89	86	86
Fri	86	88	90	91	92	93	95	98	103	112	114	106	101	95	92	87	87
Sat	86	86	87	88	89	92	93	93	97	98	98	96	94	91	90	87	85
Sun	86	86	85	86	87	89	91	92	92	93	92	91	93	91	89	88	85

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	86	89	93	92	94	96	97	98	96	102	104	102	94	90	88	87	86
Tue	86	89	96	93	93	94	94	95	96	103	112	112	100	90	88	86	87
Wed	86	90	95	95	94	94	95	94	96	101	109	111	100	91	89	86	86
Thu	86	89	95	92	92	94	95	95	97	108	112	112	99	91	89	86	86
Fri	86	88	90	91	92	93	95	98	103	112	114	106	101	95	92	87	87
Sat	86	86	87	88	89	92	93	93	97	98	98	96	94	91	90	87	85
Sun	86	86	85	86	87	89	91	92	92	93	92	91	93	91	89	88	85

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	86	89	93	92	94	96	97	98	96	102	104	102	94	90	88	87	86
Tue	86	89	96	93	93	94	94	95	96	103	112	112	100	90	88	86	87
Wed	86	90	95	95	94	94	95	94	96	101	109	111	100	91	89	86	86
Thu	86	89	95	92	92	94	95	95	97	108	112	112	99	91	89	86	86
Fri	86	88	90	91	92	93	95	98	103	112	114	106	101	95	92	87	87
Sat	86	86	87	88	89	92	93	93	97	98	98	96	94	91	90	87	85
Sun	86	86	85	86	87	89	91	92	92	93	92	91	93	91	89	88	85