Best Time to Drive from Petaluma to Hayward

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 59 minutes via I-580 West and US-101 South, usually 56 at this time.

Only 69% 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 Petaluma to Hayward 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	52	59	95	82	69	60	61	60	60	60	62	60	59	56	54	54	54
Tue	52	60	124	105	82	65	60	59	58	61	63	61	63	56	55	54	54
Wed	52	59	113	95	76	64	62	60	60	60	63	62	65	57	55	55	54
Thu	52	59	119	104	78	66	62	61	60	63	67	66	67	58	55	55	53
Fri	52	57	84	76	63	58	61	62	63	63	66	62	62	59	57	55	54
Sat	53	53	53	54	55	59	63	71	65	65	65	64	65	62	59	57	54
Sun	53	53	53	53	54	56	61	67	68	67	67	65	65	64	62	57	53

About this drive

On weekdays the 57-mile drive from Petaluma to Hayward (via I-580 West and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 52 minutes and up to 125 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 61 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (71 minutes).

About 53 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 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 Petaluma to central Hayward 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 Petaluma to Hayward?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 52 minutes then, versus up to 125 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Petaluma to Hayward?

The 57-mile drive usually takes 52 to 125 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Petaluma to Hayward?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 125 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (27 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (21 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Hayward to Petaluma (return trip) · Petaluma to San Francisco · Petaluma to Sacramento · Petaluma to Oakland · Petaluma to Fremont · Petaluma to Santa Rosa · Petaluma to Elk Grove · Petaluma to Sunnyvale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	59	95	82	69	60	61	60	60	60	62	60	59	56	54	54	54
Tue	52	60	124	105	82	65	60	59	58	61	63	61	63	56	55	54	54
Wed	52	59	113	95	76	64	62	60	60	60	63	62	65	57	55	55	54
Thu	52	59	119	104	78	66	62	61	60	63	67	66	67	58	55	55	53
Fri	52	57	84	76	63	58	61	62	63	63	66	62	62	59	57	55	54
Sat	53	53	53	54	55	59	63	71	65	65	65	64	65	62	59	57	54
Sun	53	53	53	53	54	56	61	67	68	67	67	65	65	64	62	57	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	59	95	82	69	60	61	60	60	60	62	60	59	56	54	54	54
Tue	52	60	124	105	82	65	60	59	58	61	63	61	63	56	55	54	54
Wed	52	59	113	95	76	64	62	60	60	60	63	62	65	57	55	55	54
Thu	52	59	119	104	78	66	62	61	60	63	67	66	67	58	55	55	53
Fri	52	57	84	76	63	58	61	62	63	63	66	62	62	59	57	55	54
Sat	53	53	53	54	55	59	63	71	65	65	65	64	65	62	59	57	54
Sun	53	53	53	53	54	56	61	67	68	67	67	65	65	64	62	57	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	59	95	82	69	60	61	60	60	60	62	60	59	56	54	54	54
Tue	52	60	124	105	82	65	60	59	58	61	63	61	63	56	55	54	54
Wed	52	59	113	95	76	64	62	60	60	60	63	62	65	57	55	55	54
Thu	52	59	119	104	78	66	62	61	60	63	67	66	67	58	55	55	53
Fri	52	57	84	76	63	58	61	62	63	63	66	62	62	59	57	55	54
Sat	53	53	53	54	55	59	63	71	65	65	65	64	65	62	59	57	54
Sun	53	53	53	53	54	56	61	67	68	67	67	65	65	64	62	57	53