Best Time to Drive from Petaluma to Sacramento

Right now (11:05 pm PST): about 85 minutes via I-80 East.

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 Petaluma 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	85	89	101	103	101	99	99	99	99	100	101	99	93	88	87	86	85
Tue	85	90	106	102	101	96	96	96	96	98	104	109	95	88	86	86	85
Wed	86	91	106	103	100	96	97	97	97	99	110	110	97	89	86	87	86
Thu	86	90	104	102	100	97	97	97	98	103	111	112	97	89	87	86	86
Fri	86	89	93	100	95	95	97	100	104	111	112	112	102	94	90	86	87
Sat	86	85	86	87	88	91	93	95	95	95	94	91	91	89	88	86	85
Sun	85	85	85	85	86	89	91	92	92	93	92	91	90	89	88	86	85

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Petaluma to Sacramento (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 85 minutes and up to 115 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 99 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (97 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 29 miles surface streets (40 to 56 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Petaluma 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 Petaluma to Sacramento?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 85 minutes then, versus up to 115 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 80-mile drive usually takes 85 to 115 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 99 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Petaluma to Sacramento?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 115 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Sacramento (21 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (20 miles) · SR-12 East in Bay Area (6 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 Petaluma (return trip) · Petaluma to San Francisco · 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 · Petaluma to Richmond

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	85	89	101	103	101	99	99	99	99	100	101	99	93	88	87	86	85
Tue	85	90	106	102	101	96	96	96	96	98	104	109	95	88	86	86	85
Wed	86	91	106	103	100	96	97	97	97	99	110	110	97	89	86	87	86
Thu	86	90	104	102	100	97	97	97	98	103	111	112	97	89	87	86	86
Fri	86	89	93	100	95	95	97	100	104	111	112	112	102	94	90	86	87
Sat	86	85	86	87	88	91	93	95	95	95	94	91	91	89	88	86	85
Sun	85	85	85	85	86	89	91	92	92	93	92	91	90	89	88	86	85

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	85	89	101	103	101	99	99	99	99	100	101	99	93	88	87	86	85
Tue	85	90	106	102	101	96	96	96	96	98	104	109	95	88	86	86	85
Wed	86	91	106	103	100	96	97	97	97	99	110	110	97	89	86	87	86
Thu	86	90	104	102	100	97	97	97	98	103	111	112	97	89	87	86	86
Fri	86	89	93	100	95	95	97	100	104	111	112	112	102	94	90	86	87
Sat	86	85	86	87	88	91	93	95	95	95	94	91	91	89	88	86	85
Sun	85	85	85	85	86	89	91	92	92	93	92	91	90	89	88	86	85

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	85	89	101	103	101	99	99	99	99	100	101	99	93	88	87	86	85
Tue	85	90	106	102	101	96	96	96	96	98	104	109	95	88	86	86	85
Wed	86	91	106	103	100	96	97	97	97	99	110	110	97	89	86	87	86
Thu	86	90	104	102	100	97	97	97	98	103	111	112	97	89	87	86	86
Fri	86	89	93	100	95	95	97	100	104	111	112	112	102	94	90	86	87
Sat	86	85	86	87	88	91	93	95	95	95	94	91	91	89	88	86	85
Sun	85	85	85	85	86	89	91	92	92	93	92	91	90	89	88	86	85