Best Time to Drive from Richmond to San Francisco

Right now (5:48 am PDT): about 20 minutes via I-80 West, usually 27 at this time.

Only 32% 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 Richmond 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	20	27	34	42	37	31	28	27	26	25	30	28	30	25	22	21	20
Tue	20	28	38	49	42	33	29	25	24	24	30	31	39	36	24	21	20
Wed	19	26	34	45	42	31	30	26	24	24	29	32	41	34	24	21	20
Thu	20	27	35	46	43	34	31	27	27	27	34	39	51	38	25	21	20
Fri	19	23	29	35	30	25	25	25	27	28	36	37	38	32	24	23	20
Sat	20	20	20	20	21	23	31	35	35	37	36	35	36	32	27	23	21
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	22	26	29	31	35	36	32	31	29	26	23	21

About this drive

On weekdays the 18-mile drive from Richmond to San Francisco (via I-80 West) usually takes as little as 19 minutes and up to 51 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 26 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 14 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (8 to 18 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Richmond (Macdonald Avenue) 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 Richmond to San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 19 minutes then, versus up to 51 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 18-mile drive usually takes 19 to 51 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 26 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Richmond to San Francisco?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 51 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (14 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Richmond (return trip) · Richmond to Oakland · Richmond to San Jose · Richmond to Palo Alto · Richmond to Berkeley · Richmond to Fremont · Richmond to Walnut Creek · Richmond to San Mateo · Richmond to Hayward · Richmond to Mountain View · Richmond to Pleasanton · Richmond 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	20	27	34	42	37	31	28	27	26	25	30	28	30	25	22	21	20
Tue	20	28	38	49	42	33	29	25	24	24	30	31	39	36	24	21	20
Wed	19	26	34	45	42	31	30	26	24	24	29	32	41	34	24	21	20
Thu	20	27	35	46	43	34	31	27	27	27	34	39	51	38	25	21	20
Fri	19	23	29	35	30	25	25	25	27	28	36	37	38	32	24	23	20
Sat	20	20	20	20	21	23	31	35	35	37	36	35	36	32	27	23	21
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	22	26	29	31	35	36	32	31	29	26	23	21

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	27	34	42	37	31	28	27	26	25	30	28	30	25	22	21	20
Tue	20	28	38	49	42	33	29	25	24	24	30	31	39	36	24	21	20
Wed	19	26	34	45	42	31	30	26	24	24	29	32	41	34	24	21	20
Thu	20	27	35	46	43	34	31	27	27	27	34	39	51	38	25	21	20
Fri	19	23	29	35	30	25	25	25	27	28	36	37	38	32	24	23	20
Sat	20	20	20	20	21	23	31	35	35	37	36	35	36	32	27	23	21
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	22	26	29	31	35	36	32	31	29	26	23	21

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	27	34	42	37	31	28	27	26	25	30	28	30	25	22	21	20
Tue	20	28	38	49	42	33	29	25	24	24	30	31	39	36	24	21	20
Wed	19	26	34	45	42	31	30	26	24	24	29	32	41	34	24	21	20
Thu	20	27	35	46	43	34	31	27	27	27	34	39	51	38	25	21	20
Fri	19	23	29	35	30	25	25	25	27	28	36	37	38	32	24	23	20
Sat	20	20	20	20	21	23	31	35	35	37	36	35	36	32	27	23	21
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	22	26	29	31	35	36	32	31	29	26	23	21