Best Time to Drive from Redwood City to San Rafael

Right now (12:49 am PDT): about 48 minutes via I-280 North and US-101 North.

Only 47% 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 San Rafael 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	48	48	49	52	53	51	50	50	50	51	56	69	64	50	48	48	48
Tue	48	48	49	55	58	53	51	50	50	51	60	81	72	57	50	48	49
Wed	48	48	49	58	60	53	51	51	53	53	64	84	77	59	51	49	48
Thu	48	48	50	56	58	52	51	50	50	51	64	86	77	60	51	49	48
Fri	48	48	49	51	51	51	51	51	51	54	71	73	64	55	51	49	48
Sat	48	48	48	48	49	49	52	53	53	53	52	50	50	49	49	49	48
Sun	48	48	48	48	48	49	50	50	51	51	50	50	49	49	49	49	48

About this drive

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from Redwood City to San Rafael (via I-280 North and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 87 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 51 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (53 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (16 to 27 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Redwood City to central San Rafael 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 San Rafael?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 87 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Redwood City to San Rafael?

The 46-mile drive usually takes 48 to 87 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 51 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Redwood City to San Rafael?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 87 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-280 North in Bay Area (22 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (10 miles) · SR-1 North in Bay Area (4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Rafael to Redwood City (return trip) · Redwood City to San Jose · Redwood City to San Francisco · Redwood City to Oakland · Redwood City to Stockton · Redwood City to Fremont · Redwood City to Modesto · Redwood City to Hayward · Redwood City to Sunnyvale · Redwood City to Salinas · Redwood City to Concord · Redwood City 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	48	48	49	52	53	51	50	50	50	51	56	69	64	50	48	48	48
Tue	48	48	49	55	58	53	51	50	50	51	60	81	72	57	50	48	49
Wed	48	48	49	58	60	53	51	51	53	53	64	84	77	59	51	49	48
Thu	48	48	50	56	58	52	51	50	50	51	64	86	77	60	51	49	48
Fri	48	48	49	51	51	51	51	51	51	54	71	73	64	55	51	49	48
Sat	48	48	48	48	49	49	52	53	53	53	52	50	50	49	49	49	48
Sun	48	48	48	48	48	49	50	50	51	51	50	50	49	49	49	49	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	48	49	52	53	51	50	50	50	51	56	69	64	50	48	48	48
Tue	48	48	49	55	58	53	51	50	50	51	60	81	72	57	50	48	49
Wed	48	48	49	58	60	53	51	51	53	53	64	84	77	59	51	49	48
Thu	48	48	50	56	58	52	51	50	50	51	64	86	77	60	51	49	48
Fri	48	48	49	51	51	51	51	51	51	54	71	73	64	55	51	49	48
Sat	48	48	48	48	49	49	52	53	53	53	52	50	50	49	49	49	48
Sun	48	48	48	48	48	49	50	50	51	51	50	50	49	49	49	49	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	48	49	52	53	51	50	50	50	51	56	69	64	50	48	48	48
Tue	48	48	49	55	58	53	51	50	50	51	60	81	72	57	50	48	49
Wed	48	48	49	58	60	53	51	51	53	53	64	84	77	59	51	49	48
Thu	48	48	50	56	58	52	51	50	50	51	64	86	77	60	51	49	48
Fri	48	48	49	51	51	51	51	51	51	54	71	73	64	55	51	49	48
Sat	48	48	48	48	49	49	52	53	53	53	52	50	50	49	49	49	48
Sun	48	48	48	48	48	49	50	50	51	51	50	50	49	49	49	49	48