Best Time to Drive from Richmond to SFO

Right now (3:06 am PST): about 30 minutes via I-80 West and US-101 South.

Only 29% 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 SFO 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	29	36	46	58	51	40	36	35	34	34	38	37	39	36	31	30	29
Tue	29	36	50	64	57	45	39	34	33	34	38	40	45	43	33	31	29
Wed	29	35	48	60	56	42	41	36	33	34	38	42	51	46	34	30	29
Thu	29	36	49	61	56	44	41	37	36	36	42	47	60	50	36	31	30
Fri	29	33	40	43	40	35	34	35	36	37	44	45	51	45	36	32	30
Sat	29	29	29	30	31	33	41	45	45	44	45	43	44	43	37	34	32
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	35	38	41	44	44	42	42	41	38	36	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Richmond to SFO (via I-80 West and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 64 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (46 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 16 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 San Francisco International Airport (SFO) (Departures) 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 SFO?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 64 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Richmond to SFO?

The 29-mile drive usually takes 29 to 64 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Richmond to SFO?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 64 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (14 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (11 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

SFO 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	29	36	46	58	51	40	36	35	34	34	38	37	39	36	31	30	29
Tue	29	36	50	64	57	45	39	34	33	34	38	40	45	43	33	31	29
Wed	29	35	48	60	56	42	41	36	33	34	38	42	51	46	34	30	29
Thu	29	36	49	61	56	44	41	37	36	36	42	47	60	50	36	31	30
Fri	29	33	40	43	40	35	34	35	36	37	44	45	51	45	36	32	30
Sat	29	29	29	30	31	33	41	45	45	44	45	43	44	43	37	34	32
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	35	38	41	44	44	42	42	41	38	36	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	36	46	58	51	40	36	35	34	34	38	37	39	36	31	30	29
Tue	29	36	50	64	57	45	39	34	33	34	38	40	45	43	33	31	29
Wed	29	35	48	60	56	42	41	36	33	34	38	42	51	46	34	30	29
Thu	29	36	49	61	56	44	41	37	36	36	42	47	60	50	36	31	30
Fri	29	33	40	43	40	35	34	35	36	37	44	45	51	45	36	32	30
Sat	29	29	29	30	31	33	41	45	45	44	45	43	44	43	37	34	32
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	35	38	41	44	44	42	42	41	38	36	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	36	46	58	51	40	36	35	34	34	38	37	39	36	31	30	29
Tue	29	36	50	64	57	45	39	34	33	34	38	40	45	43	33	31	29
Wed	29	35	48	60	56	42	41	36	33	34	38	42	51	46	34	30	29
Thu	29	36	49	61	56	44	41	37	36	36	42	47	60	50	36	31	30
Fri	29	33	40	43	40	35	34	35	36	37	44	45	51	45	36	32	30
Sat	29	29	29	30	31	33	41	45	45	44	45	43	44	43	37	34	32
Sun	29	29	29	29	30	31	35	38	41	44	44	42	42	41	38	36	30