Best Time to Drive from Sacramento to Petaluma

Right now (7:20 pm PST): about 91 minutes via I-80 West, usually 90 at this time.

Only 50% 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 Petaluma 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	85	103	111	107	104	99	99	97	95	94	95	93	91	88	86	86	86
Tue	85	104	111	109	103	98	95	94	93	92	94	95	99	93	86	86	85
Wed	85	105	112	107	100	99	98	95	94	92	94	96	97	95	87	86	86
Thu	85	104	111	109	102	97	95	94	93	93	96	97	97	91	86	86	86
Fri	85	95	102	96	97	98	99	96	97	99	106	107	109	101	87	86	85
Sat	85	85	86	87	89	93	104	103	100	97	95	93	90	88	87	87	86
Sun	85	85	85	85	87	90	95	99	102	102	101	101	97	94	92	89	86

About this drive

On weekdays the 79-mile drive from Sacramento to Petaluma (via I-80 West) usually takes as little as 85 minutes and up to 112 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 95 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (106 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 30 miles surface streets (42 to 57 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 Petaluma 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 Petaluma?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 85 minutes then, versus up to 112 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 79-mile drive usually takes 85 to 112 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 95 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sacramento to Petaluma?

Leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 112 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Sacramento (17 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (17 miles) · US-50 West in Sacramento (6 miles) · SR-12 West in Bay Area (5 miles)

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

More drives

Petaluma 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	85	103	111	107	104	99	99	97	95	94	95	93	91	88	86	86	86
Tue	85	104	111	109	103	98	95	94	93	92	94	95	99	93	86	86	85
Wed	85	105	112	107	100	99	98	95	94	92	94	96	97	95	87	86	86
Thu	85	104	111	109	102	97	95	94	93	93	96	97	97	91	86	86	86
Fri	85	95	102	96	97	98	99	96	97	99	106	107	109	101	87	86	85
Sat	85	85	86	87	89	93	104	103	100	97	95	93	90	88	87	87	86
Sun	85	85	85	85	87	90	95	99	102	102	101	101	97	94	92	89	86

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	85	103	111	107	104	99	99	97	95	94	95	93	91	88	86	86	86
Tue	85	104	111	109	103	98	95	94	93	92	94	95	99	93	86	86	85
Wed	85	105	112	107	100	99	98	95	94	92	94	96	97	95	87	86	86
Thu	85	104	111	109	102	97	95	94	93	93	96	97	97	91	86	86	86
Fri	85	95	102	96	97	98	99	96	97	99	106	107	109	101	87	86	85
Sat	85	85	86	87	89	93	104	103	100	97	95	93	90	88	87	87	86
Sun	85	85	85	85	87	90	95	99	102	102	101	101	97	94	92	89	86

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	85	103	111	107	104	99	99	97	95	94	95	93	91	88	86	86	86
Tue	85	104	111	109	103	98	95	94	93	92	94	95	99	93	86	86	85
Wed	85	105	112	107	100	99	98	95	94	92	94	96	97	95	87	86	86
Thu	85	104	111	109	102	97	95	94	93	93	96	97	97	91	86	86	86
Fri	85	95	102	96	97	98	99	96	97	99	106	107	109	101	87	86	85
Sat	85	85	86	87	89	93	104	103	100	97	95	93	90	88	87	87	86
Sun	85	85	85	85	87	90	95	99	102	102	101	101	97	94	92	89	86