Best Time to Drive from Sacramento to Fairfield

Right now (8:49 pm PDT): about 41 minutes via I-80 West, usually 41 at this time.

Only 63% 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 Sacramento to Fairfield 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	40	45	47	48	52	47	47	46	46	45	45	46	47	43	41	41	41
Tue	40	43	47	49	51	46	45	44	44	44	45	49	56	49	41	40	40
Wed	40	43	46	48	49	47	46	45	45	44	46	49	53	50	41	40	40
Thu	40	43	47	49	49	47	44	44	45	45	47	50	53	46	41	41	40
Fri	40	43	45	45	46	46	47	47	47	48	51	59	65	57	42	41	40
Sat	40	40	41	41	42	46	55	54	52	49	49	47	45	43	42	42	41
Sun	40	40	41	40	41	43	47	52	55	55	54	54	50	48	46	43	41

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from Sacramento to Fairfield (via I-80 West) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 65 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (60 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 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 downtown Sacramento (the Capitol) to central Fairfield 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 Sacramento to Fairfield?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 65 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Sacramento to Fairfield?

The 43-mile drive usually takes 40 to 65 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sacramento to Fairfield?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 65 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Sacramento (17 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (10 miles) · US-50 West in Sacramento (6 miles)

Sacramento traffic right now · Sacramento traffic tomorrow · Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Fairfield to Sacramento (return trip) · Sacramento to Roseville · Sacramento to Elk Grove · Sacramento to Davis · Sacramento to Folsom · Sacramento to San Francisco · Sacramento to Oakland · Sacramento to SMF · Sacramento to Stockton · Sacramento to Concord · Sacramento to Vallejo · Sacramento to Berkeley

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	45	47	48	52	47	47	46	46	45	45	46	47	43	41	41	41
Tue	40	43	47	49	51	46	45	44	44	44	45	49	56	49	41	40	40
Wed	40	43	46	48	49	47	46	45	45	44	46	49	53	50	41	40	40
Thu	40	43	47	49	49	47	44	44	45	45	47	50	53	46	41	41	40
Fri	40	43	45	45	46	46	47	47	47	48	51	59	65	57	42	41	40
Sat	40	40	41	41	42	46	55	54	52	49	49	47	45	43	42	42	41
Sun	40	40	41	40	41	43	47	52	55	55	54	54	50	48	46	43	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	45	47	48	52	47	47	46	46	45	45	46	47	43	41	41	41
Tue	40	43	47	49	51	46	45	44	44	44	45	49	56	49	41	40	40
Wed	40	43	46	48	49	47	46	45	45	44	46	49	53	50	41	40	40
Thu	40	43	47	49	49	47	44	44	45	45	47	50	53	46	41	41	40
Fri	40	43	45	45	46	46	47	47	47	48	51	59	65	57	42	41	40
Sat	40	40	41	41	42	46	55	54	52	49	49	47	45	43	42	42	41
Sun	40	40	41	40	41	43	47	52	55	55	54	54	50	48	46	43	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	45	47	48	52	47	47	46	46	45	45	46	47	43	41	41	41
Tue	40	43	47	49	51	46	45	44	44	44	45	49	56	49	41	40	40
Wed	40	43	46	48	49	47	46	45	45	44	46	49	53	50	41	40	40
Thu	40	43	47	49	49	47	44	44	45	45	47	50	53	46	41	41	40
Fri	40	43	45	45	46	46	47	47	47	48	51	59	65	57	42	41	40
Sat	40	40	41	41	42	46	55	54	52	49	49	47	45	43	42	42	41
Sun	40	40	41	40	41	43	47	52	55	55	54	54	50	48	46	43	41