Best Time to Drive from Petaluma to Oakland

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 45 minutes via US-101 South and I-580 West, usually 41 at this time.

Only 78% 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 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	39	46	67	63	54	46	47	46	46	45	47	45	45	42	41	41	40
Tue	39	50	94	82	64	49	46	45	44	46	48	46	48	42	41	41	40
Wed	39	48	81	71	59	49	47	45	45	44	47	47	52	43	41	41	41
Thu	39	48	88	80	62	51	48	47	46	48	52	50	52	44	41	41	40
Fri	39	44	60	54	47	44	46	47	48	47	51	47	47	44	43	42	41
Sat	40	39	40	40	41	44	49	55	50	50	50	50	52	49	46	44	40
Sun	40	39	39	40	40	42	47	52	54	53	53	51	50	49	46	43	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from Petaluma to Oakland (via US-101 South and I-580 West) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 97 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (55 minutes).

About 40 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Petaluma 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 Petaluma to Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 97 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 43-mile drive usually takes 39 to 97 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Petaluma to Oakland?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 97 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (21 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (14 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Oakland to Petaluma (return trip) · Petaluma to San Francisco · Petaluma to Sacramento

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	46	67	63	54	46	47	46	46	45	47	45	45	42	41	41	40
Tue	39	50	94	82	64	49	46	45	44	46	48	46	48	42	41	41	40
Wed	39	48	81	71	59	49	47	45	45	44	47	47	52	43	41	41	41
Thu	39	48	88	80	62	51	48	47	46	48	52	50	52	44	41	41	40
Fri	39	44	60	54	47	44	46	47	48	47	51	47	47	44	43	42	41
Sat	40	39	40	40	41	44	49	55	50	50	50	50	52	49	46	44	40
Sun	40	39	39	40	40	42	47	52	54	53	53	51	50	49	46	43	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	46	67	63	54	46	47	46	46	45	47	45	45	42	41	41	40
Tue	39	50	94	82	64	49	46	45	44	46	48	46	48	42	41	41	40
Wed	39	48	81	71	59	49	47	45	45	44	47	47	52	43	41	41	41
Thu	39	48	88	80	62	51	48	47	46	48	52	50	52	44	41	41	40
Fri	39	44	60	54	47	44	46	47	48	47	51	47	47	44	43	42	41
Sat	40	39	40	40	41	44	49	55	50	50	50	50	52	49	46	44	40
Sun	40	39	39	40	40	42	47	52	54	53	53	51	50	49	46	43	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	46	67	63	54	46	47	46	46	45	47	45	45	42	41	41	40
Tue	39	50	94	82	64	49	46	45	44	46	48	46	48	42	41	41	40
Wed	39	48	81	71	59	49	47	45	45	44	47	47	52	43	41	41	41
Thu	39	48	88	80	62	51	48	47	46	48	52	50	52	44	41	41	40
Fri	39	44	60	54	47	44	46	47	48	47	51	47	47	44	43	42	41
Sat	40	39	40	40	41	44	49	55	50	50	50	50	52	49	46	44	40
Sun	40	39	39	40	40	42	47	52	54	53	53	51	50	49	46	43	40