Best Time to Drive from Redwood City to Oakland

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 44 minutes via US-101 North, usually 38 at this time.

Only 75% 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 Redwood City to Oakland 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	34	37	40	48	49	41	39	39	37	39	41	42	47	41	37	36	35
Tue	34	37	41	51	53	42	39	38	37	39	41	46	52	47	39	37	35
Wed	34	37	40	52	55	43	39	38	38	39	41	45	51	46	39	37	35
Thu	34	36	41	54	54	42	39	39	38	39	42	48	55	50	40	37	36
Fri	34	36	38	44	42	39	40	39	39	40	42	44	47	45	40	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	39	44	42	43	41	40	40	39	38	38	37	35
Sun	35	35	34	34	35	36	37	39	39	39	38	38	38	38	38	37	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from Redwood City to Oakland (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 57 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (44 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (9 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Redwood City to downtown Oakland 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 Redwood City to Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 57 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Redwood City to Oakland?

The 35-mile drive usually takes 34 to 57 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Redwood City to Oakland?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 57 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (26 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Oakland to Redwood City (return trip) · Redwood City to San Jose · Redwood City to San Francisco

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	37	40	48	49	41	39	39	37	39	41	42	47	41	37	36	35
Tue	34	37	41	51	53	42	39	38	37	39	41	46	52	47	39	37	35
Wed	34	37	40	52	55	43	39	38	38	39	41	45	51	46	39	37	35
Thu	34	36	41	54	54	42	39	39	38	39	42	48	55	50	40	37	36
Fri	34	36	38	44	42	39	40	39	39	40	42	44	47	45	40	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	39	44	42	43	41	40	40	39	38	38	37	35
Sun	35	35	34	34	35	36	37	39	39	39	38	38	38	38	38	37	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	37	40	48	49	41	39	39	37	39	41	42	47	41	37	36	35
Tue	34	37	41	51	53	42	39	38	37	39	41	46	52	47	39	37	35
Wed	34	37	40	52	55	43	39	38	38	39	41	45	51	46	39	37	35
Thu	34	36	41	54	54	42	39	39	38	39	42	48	55	50	40	37	36
Fri	34	36	38	44	42	39	40	39	39	40	42	44	47	45	40	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	39	44	42	43	41	40	40	39	38	38	37	35
Sun	35	35	34	34	35	36	37	39	39	39	38	38	38	38	38	37	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	37	40	48	49	41	39	39	37	39	41	42	47	41	37	36	35
Tue	34	37	41	51	53	42	39	38	37	39	41	46	52	47	39	37	35
Wed	34	37	40	52	55	43	39	38	38	39	41	45	51	46	39	37	35
Thu	34	36	41	54	54	42	39	39	38	39	42	48	55	50	40	37	36
Fri	34	36	38	44	42	39	40	39	39	40	42	44	47	45	40	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	39	44	42	43	41	40	40	39	38	38	37	35
Sun	35	35	34	34	35	36	37	39	39	39	38	38	38	38	38	37	35