Best Time to Drive from Petaluma to Redwood City

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 100 minutes via US-101 South and I-80 West, usually 78 at this time.

Only 79% 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 Redwood City 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	65	81	111	103	87	78	76	74	73	76	78	76	77	70	68	68	67
Tue	65	84	136	121	101	85	78	73	72	76	80	79	84	74	68	67	67
Wed	64	83	125	111	96	85	79	74	74	75	81	84	89	75	68	68	67
Thu	65	83	128	118	96	86	80	76	75	80	86	91	95	78	69	68	66
Fri	65	75	95	87	80	74	75	75	77	80	85	84	88	79	72	69	66
Sat	65	65	66	67	69	75	90	97	91	89	88	86	87	81	75	72	67
Sun	65	65	65	66	67	70	78	85	91	89	88	85	85	81	77	71	65

About this drive

On weekdays the 72-mile drive from Petaluma to Redwood City (via US-101 South and I-80 West) usually takes as little as 64 minutes and up to 137 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 75 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (97 minutes).

About 69 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Petaluma to central Redwood City 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 Redwood City?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 64 minutes then, versus up to 137 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Petaluma to Redwood City?

The 72-mile drive usually takes 64 to 137 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 75 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Petaluma to Redwood City?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 137 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (41 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (15 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (13 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Redwood City 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 Hayward · Petaluma to Sunnyvale · Petaluma to Concord · Petaluma to Berkeley · Petaluma to Antioch

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	65	81	111	103	87	78	76	74	73	76	78	76	77	70	68	68	67
Tue	65	84	136	121	101	85	78	73	72	76	80	79	84	74	68	67	67
Wed	64	83	125	111	96	85	79	74	74	75	81	84	89	75	68	68	67
Thu	65	83	128	118	96	86	80	76	75	80	86	91	95	78	69	68	66
Fri	65	75	95	87	80	74	75	75	77	80	85	84	88	79	72	69	66
Sat	65	65	66	67	69	75	90	97	91	89	88	86	87	81	75	72	67
Sun	65	65	65	66	67	70	78	85	91	89	88	85	85	81	77	71	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	65	81	111	103	87	78	76	74	73	76	78	76	77	70	68	68	67
Tue	65	84	136	121	101	85	78	73	72	76	80	79	84	74	68	67	67
Wed	64	83	125	111	96	85	79	74	74	75	81	84	89	75	68	68	67
Thu	65	83	128	118	96	86	80	76	75	80	86	91	95	78	69	68	66
Fri	65	75	95	87	80	74	75	75	77	80	85	84	88	79	72	69	66
Sat	65	65	66	67	69	75	90	97	91	89	88	86	87	81	75	72	67
Sun	65	65	65	66	67	70	78	85	91	89	88	85	85	81	77	71	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	65	81	111	103	87	78	76	74	73	76	78	76	77	70	68	68	67
Tue	65	84	136	121	101	85	78	73	72	76	80	79	84	74	68	67	67
Wed	64	83	125	111	96	85	79	74	74	75	81	84	89	75	68	68	67
Thu	65	83	128	118	96	86	80	76	75	80	86	91	95	78	69	68	66
Fri	65	75	95	87	80	74	75	75	77	80	85	84	88	79	72	69	66
Sat	65	65	66	67	69	75	90	97	91	89	88	86	87	81	75	72	67
Sun	65	65	65	66	67	70	78	85	91	89	88	85	85	81	77	71	65