Best Time to Drive from Richmond to San Rafael

Right now (5:49 pm PDT): about 15 minutes via I-580 East, usually 13 at this time.

Only 71% 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 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	12	13	15	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	13	13	13
Tue	13	13	15	15	15	14	13	13	13	13	14	15	15	15	13	13	13
Wed	13	12	15	15	14	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	15	14	13	13	13
Thu	12	13	15	16	15	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	15	15	13	13	13
Fri	13	12	15	14	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	15	15	14	13	13	13
Sat	13	13	13	12	12	13	13	15	14	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	13
Sun	13	13	13	12	12	13	13	14	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13

About this drive

On weekdays the 12-mile drive from Richmond to San Rafael (via I-580 East) usually takes as little as 12 minutes and up to 16 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 13 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (15 minutes).

About 10 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.9 miles surface streets (3 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Richmond 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 Richmond to San Rafael?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 12 minutes then, versus up to 16 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 12-mile drive usually takes 12 to 16 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 13 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Richmond to San Rafael?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 16 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 East in Bay Area (10 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Rafael to Richmond (return trip) · Richmond to San Francisco · 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	12	13	15	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	13	13	13
Tue	13	13	15	15	15	14	13	13	13	13	14	15	15	15	13	13	13
Wed	13	12	15	15	14	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	15	14	13	13	13
Thu	12	13	15	16	15	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	15	15	13	13	13
Fri	13	12	15	14	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	15	15	14	13	13	13
Sat	13	13	13	12	12	13	13	15	14	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	13
Sun	13	13	13	12	12	13	13	14	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	12	13	15	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	13	13	13
Tue	13	13	15	15	15	14	13	13	13	13	14	15	15	15	13	13	13
Wed	13	12	15	15	14	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	15	14	13	13	13
Thu	12	13	15	16	15	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	15	15	13	13	13
Fri	13	12	15	14	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	15	15	14	13	13	13
Sat	13	13	13	12	12	13	13	15	14	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	13
Sun	13	13	13	12	12	13	13	14	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	12	13	15	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	13	13	13
Tue	13	13	15	15	15	14	13	13	13	13	14	15	15	15	13	13	13
Wed	13	12	15	15	14	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	15	14	13	13	13
Thu	12	13	15	16	15	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	15	15	13	13	13
Fri	13	12	15	14	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	15	15	14	13	13	13
Sat	13	13	13	12	12	13	13	15	14	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	13
Sun	13	13	13	12	12	13	13	14	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13