Best Time to Drive from Pleasanton to San Francisco

Right now (9:48 pm PDT): about 40 minutes via I-580 East, usually 40 at this time.

Only 25% 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 San Francisco 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	40	48	53	56	51	52	48	46	45	45	47	49	50	43	41	41	40
Tue	40	48	57	70	56	51	48	45	44	45	51	55	60	50	42	41	40
Wed	40	48	54	61	54	50	48	45	44	45	51	59	60	49	42	42	40
Thu	40	48	53	66	52	51	48	46	45	46	53	64	69	52	42	42	40
Fri	40	45	47	47	47	46	44	44	47	52	55	57	59	49	45	42	40
Sat	40	41	41	41	41	43	50	53	52	51	50	48	48	46	42	42	40
Sun	40	41	41	41	41	42	44	46	49	49	48	47	46	44	42	42	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Pleasanton to San Francisco (via I-580 East) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 70 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (53 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (10 to 27 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Pleasanton to downtown San Francisco (Market Street) 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 San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 70 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Pleasanton to San Francisco?

The 40-mile drive usually takes 40 to 70 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pleasanton to San Francisco?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 70 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 East in Bay Area (25 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-680 North in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Pleasanton (return trip) · 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 · Pleasanton 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	40	48	53	56	51	52	48	46	45	45	47	49	50	43	41	41	40
Tue	40	48	57	70	56	51	48	45	44	45	51	55	60	50	42	41	40
Wed	40	48	54	61	54	50	48	45	44	45	51	59	60	49	42	42	40
Thu	40	48	53	66	52	51	48	46	45	46	53	64	69	52	42	42	40
Fri	40	45	47	47	47	46	44	44	47	52	55	57	59	49	45	42	40
Sat	40	41	41	41	41	43	50	53	52	51	50	48	48	46	42	42	40
Sun	40	41	41	41	41	42	44	46	49	49	48	47	46	44	42	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	48	53	56	51	52	48	46	45	45	47	49	50	43	41	41	40
Tue	40	48	57	70	56	51	48	45	44	45	51	55	60	50	42	41	40
Wed	40	48	54	61	54	50	48	45	44	45	51	59	60	49	42	42	40
Thu	40	48	53	66	52	51	48	46	45	46	53	64	69	52	42	42	40
Fri	40	45	47	47	47	46	44	44	47	52	55	57	59	49	45	42	40
Sat	40	41	41	41	41	43	50	53	52	51	50	48	48	46	42	42	40
Sun	40	41	41	41	41	42	44	46	49	49	48	47	46	44	42	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	48	53	56	51	52	48	46	45	45	47	49	50	43	41	41	40
Tue	40	48	57	70	56	51	48	45	44	45	51	55	60	50	42	41	40
Wed	40	48	54	61	54	50	48	45	44	45	51	59	60	49	42	42	40
Thu	40	48	53	66	52	51	48	46	45	46	53	64	69	52	42	42	40
Fri	40	45	47	47	47	46	44	44	47	52	55	57	59	49	45	42	40
Sat	40	41	41	41	41	43	50	53	52	51	50	48	48	46	42	42	40
Sun	40	41	41	41	41	42	44	46	49	49	48	47	46	44	42	42	40