Best Time to Drive from Petaluma to Vacaville

Right now (7:04 pm PDT): about 61 minutes via I-80 East and SR-12 East, usually 61 at this time.

Only 37% 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 Vacaville 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	59	62	72	75	71	68	68	68	67	66	65	66	65	61	60	60	59
Tue	59	62	75	73	71	66	66	66	66	65	66	69	67	61	60	60	59
Wed	59	62	76	75	71	66	67	67	66	65	66	69	68	62	60	60	60
Thu	59	62	74	74	72	67	66	66	65	66	65	69	68	61	60	60	59
Fri	59	62	66	73	66	66	67	67	67	70	71	76	70	63	61	59	59
Sat	60	59	60	60	60	62	63	64	63	62	62	61	61	60	60	60	59
Sun	59	59	59	59	60	61	63	64	64	65	64	63	62	61	61	60	59

About this drive

On weekdays the 47-mile drive from Petaluma to Vacaville (via I-80 East and SR-12 East) usually takes as little as 59 minutes and up to 76 minutes, when leaving around 4 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 67 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (65 minutes).

About 18 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 29 miles surface streets (43 to 59 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Petaluma to central Vacaville 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 Vacaville?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 59 minutes then, versus up to 76 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 47-mile drive usually takes 59 to 76 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 67 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Petaluma to Vacaville?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 76 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Bay Area (13 miles) · SR-12 East in Bay Area (6 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Vacaville 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	59	62	72	75	71	68	68	68	67	66	65	66	65	61	60	60	59
Tue	59	62	75	73	71	66	66	66	66	65	66	69	67	61	60	60	59
Wed	59	62	76	75	71	66	67	67	66	65	66	69	68	62	60	60	60
Thu	59	62	74	74	72	67	66	66	65	66	65	69	68	61	60	60	59
Fri	59	62	66	73	66	66	67	67	67	70	71	76	70	63	61	59	59
Sat	60	59	60	60	60	62	63	64	63	62	62	61	61	60	60	60	59
Sun	59	59	59	59	60	61	63	64	64	65	64	63	62	61	61	60	59

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	62	72	75	71	68	68	68	67	66	65	66	65	61	60	60	59
Tue	59	62	75	73	71	66	66	66	66	65	66	69	67	61	60	60	59
Wed	59	62	76	75	71	66	67	67	66	65	66	69	68	62	60	60	60
Thu	59	62	74	74	72	67	66	66	65	66	65	69	68	61	60	60	59
Fri	59	62	66	73	66	66	67	67	67	70	71	76	70	63	61	59	59
Sat	60	59	60	60	60	62	63	64	63	62	62	61	61	60	60	60	59
Sun	59	59	59	59	60	61	63	64	64	65	64	63	62	61	61	60	59

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	62	72	75	71	68	68	68	67	66	65	66	65	61	60	60	59
Tue	59	62	75	73	71	66	66	66	66	65	66	69	67	61	60	60	59
Wed	59	62	76	75	71	66	67	67	66	65	66	69	68	62	60	60	60
Thu	59	62	74	74	72	67	66	66	65	66	65	69	68	61	60	60	59
Fri	59	62	66	73	66	66	67	67	67	70	71	76	70	63	61	59	59
Sat	60	59	60	60	60	62	63	64	63	62	62	61	61	60	60	60	59
Sun	59	59	59	59	60	61	63	64	64	65	64	63	62	61	61	60	59