Best Time to Drive from Petaluma to Richmond

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 34 minutes via US-101 South and I-580 West, usually 32 at this time.

Only 70% 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 Richmond 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	31	35	53	47	40	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	32
Tue	31	38	61	62	50	37	34	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	32	32	32
Wed	31	37	59	54	45	37	35	33	33	33	33	34	35	33	33	33	32
Thu	31	35	62	63	46	37	35	34	33	34	34	35	35	33	32	32	32
Fri	31	34	48	40	35	33	34	33	33	33	34	35	35	33	32	32	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	36	42	38	36	34	33	33	32	32	32	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	34	38	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	32	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Petaluma to Richmond (via US-101 South and I-580 West) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (42 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Petaluma to central Richmond 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 Richmond?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 69 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 33-mile drive usually takes 31 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Petaluma to Richmond?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 69 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (21 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (9 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Richmond 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	31	35	53	47	40	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	32
Tue	31	38	61	62	50	37	34	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	32	32	32
Wed	31	37	59	54	45	37	35	33	33	33	33	34	35	33	33	33	32
Thu	31	35	62	63	46	37	35	34	33	34	34	35	35	33	32	32	32
Fri	31	34	48	40	35	33	34	33	33	33	34	35	35	33	32	32	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	36	42	38	36	34	33	33	32	32	32	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	34	38	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	32	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	35	53	47	40	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	32
Tue	31	38	61	62	50	37	34	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	32	32	32
Wed	31	37	59	54	45	37	35	33	33	33	33	34	35	33	33	33	32
Thu	31	35	62	63	46	37	35	34	33	34	34	35	35	33	32	32	32
Fri	31	34	48	40	35	33	34	33	33	33	34	35	35	33	32	32	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	36	42	38	36	34	33	33	32	32	32	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	34	38	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	32	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	35	53	47	40	35	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	32
Tue	31	38	61	62	50	37	34	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	32	32	32
Wed	31	37	59	54	45	37	35	33	33	33	33	34	35	33	33	33	32
Thu	31	35	62	63	46	37	35	34	33	34	34	35	35	33	32	32	32
Fri	31	34	48	40	35	33	34	33	33	33	34	35	35	33	32	32	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	36	42	38	36	34	33	33	32	32	32	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	34	38	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	32	31