Best Time to Drive from Pleasanton to Sacramento

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 90 minutes via I-580 West and I-5 North, usually 87 at this time.

Only 16% 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 Pleasanton 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	88	182	155	117	94	94	92	91	90	89	88	88	88	88	88	89	89
Tue	89	181	160	128	104	94	92	91	90	88	88	90	88	88	87	88	88
Wed	89	186	178	144	106	95	92	92	90	89	89	89	88	89	87	88	87
Thu	88	182	171	138	100	93	91	90	89	89	88	88	88	87	87	88	87
Fri	92	181	154	119	108	94	92	92	91	89	89	89	89	88	87	87	87
Sat	89	88	88	88	90	88	91	90	90	96	90	90	89	89	88	89	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	90	89	89	89	90	113	149	120	89	90	87

About this drive

On weekdays the 95-mile drive from Pleasanton to Sacramento (via I-580 West and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 87 minutes and up to 187 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 10 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 91 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Sundays (151 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 49 miles surface streets (4 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Pleasanton 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 Pleasanton to Sacramento?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 10 am. The drive usually takes about 87 minutes then, versus up to 187 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 95-mile drive usually takes 87 to 187 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 91 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pleasanton to Sacramento?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 187 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (26 miles) · I-5 North in Sacramento (12 miles) · I-5 North in Bay Area (8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow · Sacramento traffic right now · Sacramento traffic tomorrow

More drives

Sacramento to Pleasanton (return trip) · Pleasanton to San Francisco · Pleasanton to Oakland · Pleasanton to San Jose · Pleasanton to Palo Alto · Pleasanton to Berkeley · Pleasanton to Fremont · Pleasanton to Walnut Creek · Pleasanton to San Mateo · Pleasanton to Hayward · Pleasanton to Mountain View · Pleasanton to Santa Clara

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	182	155	117	94	94	92	91	90	89	88	88	88	88	88	89	89
Tue	89	181	160	128	104	94	92	91	90	88	88	90	88	88	87	88	88
Wed	89	186	178	144	106	95	92	92	90	89	89	89	88	89	87	88	87
Thu	88	182	171	138	100	93	91	90	89	89	88	88	88	87	87	88	87
Fri	92	181	154	119	108	94	92	92	91	89	89	89	89	88	87	87	87
Sat	89	88	88	88	90	88	91	90	90	96	90	90	89	89	88	89	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	90	89	89	89	90	113	149	120	89	90	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	182	155	117	94	94	92	91	90	89	88	88	88	88	88	89	89
Tue	89	181	160	128	104	94	92	91	90	88	88	90	88	88	87	88	88
Wed	89	186	178	144	106	95	92	92	90	89	89	89	88	89	87	88	87
Thu	88	182	171	138	100	93	91	90	89	89	88	88	88	87	87	88	87
Fri	92	181	154	119	108	94	92	92	91	89	89	89	89	88	87	87	87
Sat	89	88	88	88	90	88	91	90	90	96	90	90	89	89	88	89	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	90	89	89	89	90	113	149	120	89	90	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	182	155	117	94	94	92	91	90	89	88	88	88	88	88	89	89
Tue	89	181	160	128	104	94	92	91	90	88	88	90	88	88	87	88	88
Wed	89	186	178	144	106	95	92	92	90	89	89	89	88	89	87	88	87
Thu	88	182	171	138	100	93	91	90	89	89	88	88	88	87	87	88	87
Fri	92	181	154	119	108	94	92	92	91	89	89	89	89	88	87	87	87
Sat	89	88	88	88	90	88	91	90	90	96	90	90	89	89	88	89	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	90	89	89	89	90	113	149	120	89	90	87