Best Time to Drive from Orinda to Sacramento

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 81 minutes via I-80 East and I-680 North, usually 79 at this time.

Only 52% 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 Orinda to Sacramento 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	69	72	76	76	77	78	79	79	80	81	86	89	86	80	71	71	70
Tue	69	72	77	79	79	77	78	78	79	81	93	105	97	86	74	71	70
Wed	69	72	78	78	77	77	78	78	79	82	100	108	101	88	76	71	70
Thu	69	72	77	79	77	77	78	78	80	85	99	109	99	86	76	71	70
Fri	69	72	73	74	75	76	77	81	86	96	107	110	105	91	79	72	70
Sat	70	70	70	71	73	75	77	78	80	81	80	78	77	74	73	72	69
Sun	69	69	69	70	71	72	74	75	75	75	74	74	74	73	73	72	69

About this drive

On weekdays the 78-mile drive from Orinda to Sacramento (via I-80 East and I-680 North) usually takes as little as 69 minutes and up to 111 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 80 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (81 minutes).

About 76 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (2 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Orinda to downtown Sacramento (the Capitol) 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 Orinda to Sacramento?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 69 minutes then, versus up to 111 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Orinda to Sacramento?

The 78-mile drive usually takes 69 to 111 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 80 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Orinda to Sacramento?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 111 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 North in Bay Area (26 miles) · I-80 East in Sacramento (21 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (18 miles) · SR-24 East in Bay Area (7 miles) · US-50 East in Sacramento (3 miles) · I-5 North in Sacramento (1 mile)

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

More drives

Sacramento to Orinda (return trip) · Orinda to San Francisco · Orinda to San Jose · Orinda to Oakland · Orinda to Stockton · Orinda to Fremont · Orinda to Modesto

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	69	72	76	76	77	78	79	79	80	81	86	89	86	80	71	71	70
Tue	69	72	77	79	79	77	78	78	79	81	93	105	97	86	74	71	70
Wed	69	72	78	78	77	77	78	78	79	82	100	108	101	88	76	71	70
Thu	69	72	77	79	77	77	78	78	80	85	99	109	99	86	76	71	70
Fri	69	72	73	74	75	76	77	81	86	96	107	110	105	91	79	72	70
Sat	70	70	70	71	73	75	77	78	80	81	80	78	77	74	73	72	69
Sun	69	69	69	70	71	72	74	75	75	75	74	74	74	73	73	72	69

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	69	72	76	76	77	78	79	79	80	81	86	89	86	80	71	71	70
Tue	69	72	77	79	79	77	78	78	79	81	93	105	97	86	74	71	70
Wed	69	72	78	78	77	77	78	78	79	82	100	108	101	88	76	71	70
Thu	69	72	77	79	77	77	78	78	80	85	99	109	99	86	76	71	70
Fri	69	72	73	74	75	76	77	81	86	96	107	110	105	91	79	72	70
Sat	70	70	70	71	73	75	77	78	80	81	80	78	77	74	73	72	69
Sun	69	69	69	70	71	72	74	75	75	75	74	74	74	73	73	72	69

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	69	72	76	76	77	78	79	79	80	81	86	89	86	80	71	71	70
Tue	69	72	77	79	79	77	78	78	79	81	93	105	97	86	74	71	70
Wed	69	72	78	78	77	77	78	78	79	82	100	108	101	88	76	71	70
Thu	69	72	77	79	77	77	78	78	80	85	99	109	99	86	76	71	70
Fri	69	72	73	74	75	76	77	81	86	96	107	110	105	91	79	72	70
Sat	70	70	70	71	73	75	77	78	80	81	80	78	77	74	73	72	69
Sun	69	69	69	70	71	72	74	75	75	75	74	74	74	73	73	72	69