Best Time to Drive from Petaluma to Sunnyvale

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 88 minutes via I-280 South and US-101 South, usually 82 at this time.

Only 40% 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 Sunnyvale 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	79	81	101	105	90	86	87	86	85	89	88	86	84	82	80	80	80
Tue	79	81	115	116	99	87	87	85	83	88	90	93	90	84	81	80	80
Wed	78	80	109	117	95	88	90	103	86	86	98	101	91	84	83	80	80
Thu	78	81	114	117	96	89	88	84	83	88	95	93	90	84	82	81	80
Fri	78	80	90	90	85	84	84	85	85	89	92	91	88	84	81	80	80
Sat	79	79	79	80	80	82	83	85	83	84	84	84	85	85	81	80	79
Sun	78	79	79	79	80	82	83	85	87	87	86	86	87	85	82	81	79

About this drive

On weekdays the 83-mile drive from Petaluma to Sunnyvale (via I-280 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 78 minutes and up to 125 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 87 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (87 minutes).

About 73 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (13 to 22 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Petaluma to central Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 78 minutes then, versus up to 125 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 83-mile drive usually takes 78 to 125 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 87 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Petaluma to Sunnyvale?

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

Freeways on this drive

I-280 South in Bay Area (38 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (33 miles) · SR-1 South in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Sunnyvale 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	81	101	105	90	86	87	86	85	89	88	86	84	82	80	80	80
Tue	79	81	115	116	99	87	87	85	83	88	90	93	90	84	81	80	80
Wed	78	80	109	117	95	88	90	103	86	86	98	101	91	84	83	80	80
Thu	78	81	114	117	96	89	88	84	83	88	95	93	90	84	82	81	80
Fri	78	80	90	90	85	84	84	85	85	89	92	91	88	84	81	80	80
Sat	79	79	79	80	80	82	83	85	83	84	84	84	85	85	81	80	79
Sun	78	79	79	79	80	82	83	85	87	87	86	86	87	85	82	81	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	81	101	105	90	86	87	86	85	89	88	86	84	82	80	80	80
Tue	79	81	115	116	99	87	87	85	83	88	90	93	90	84	81	80	80
Wed	78	80	109	117	95	88	90	103	86	86	98	101	91	84	83	80	80
Thu	78	81	114	117	96	89	88	84	83	88	95	93	90	84	82	81	80
Fri	78	80	90	90	85	84	84	85	85	89	92	91	88	84	81	80	80
Sat	79	79	79	80	80	82	83	85	83	84	84	84	85	85	81	80	79
Sun	78	79	79	79	80	82	83	85	87	87	86	86	87	85	82	81	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	81	101	105	90	86	87	86	85	89	88	86	84	82	80	80	80
Tue	79	81	115	116	99	87	87	85	83	88	90	93	90	84	81	80	80
Wed	78	80	109	117	95	88	90	103	86	86	98	101	91	84	83	80	80
Thu	78	81	114	117	96	89	88	84	83	88	95	93	90	84	82	81	80
Fri	78	80	90	90	85	84	84	85	85	89	92	91	88	84	81	80	80
Sat	79	79	79	80	80	82	83	85	83	84	84	84	85	85	81	80	79
Sun	78	79	79	79	80	82	83	85	87	87	86	86	87	85	82	81	79