Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from OAK to San Francisco
Right now (1:18 pm PDT): about 49 minutes via I-880 North and I-80 West, usually 37 at this time.
Only 24% 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 | 24 | 33 | 36 | 45 | 42 | 35 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
| Tue | 24 | 33 | 39 | 44 | 47 | 37 | 32 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
| Wed | 24 | 33 | 37 | 45 | 46 | 35 | 33 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 33 | 33 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
| Thu | 24 | 34 | 37 | 45 | 48 | 37 | 33 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 40 | 38 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
| Fri | 24 | 27 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 25 | 24 |
| Sat | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 32 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 34 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 26 | 24 |
| Sun | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 34 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 21-mile drive from OAK to San Francisco (via I-880 North and I-80 West) usually takes as little as 24 minutes and up to 50 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 29 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).
About 15 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (11 to 23 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Oakland International Airport (OAK) (John Glenn Drive) to downtown San Francisco (Market Street) 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 OAK to San Francisco?
On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 24 minutes then, versus up to 50 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from OAK to San Francisco?
The 21-mile drive usually takes 24 to 50 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 29 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from OAK to San Francisco?
Leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 50 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-880 North in Bay Area (9 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (5 miles)
Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow
More drives
San Francisco to OAK (return trip) · OAK to SFO · OAK to SJC · OAK to Oakland · OAK to San Jose · OAK to Palo Alto · OAK to Berkeley · OAK to Fremont · OAK to Walnut Creek · OAK to San Mateo · OAK to Mountain View · OAK to Pleasanton