Best Time to Drive from Sacramento to Pittsburg

Right now (7:07 pm PST): about 79 minutes via I-5 South and SR-12 West, usually 79 at this time.

Only 38% 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 Pittsburg 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	81	89	87	102	89	89	89	89	88	90	91	104	105	86	79	78	78
Tue	82	91	94	105	101	90	87	87	88	89	94	115	126	106	79	79	78
Wed	80	92	91	103	97	89	88	87	88	88	94	117	127	110	80	78	78
Thu	81	93	89	102	96	88	87	87	86	89	98	118	123	100	79	78	79
Fri	77	86	86	89	86	85	85	84	85	89	100	111	109	90	82	79	78
Sat	77	77	77	78	79	80	81	80	81	80	80	79	79	78	78	77	77
Sun	78	78	77	77	78	78	80	80	81	81	81	80	80	79	79	77	78

About this drive

On weekdays the 72-mile drive from Sacramento to Pittsburg (via I-5 South and SR-12 West) usually takes as little as 77 minutes and up to 127 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 87 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (82 minutes).

About 48 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 24 miles surface streets (31 to 79 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 Pittsburg 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 Pittsburg?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 77 minutes then, versus up to 127 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 72-mile drive usually takes 77 to 127 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 87 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sacramento to Pittsburg?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 127 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Bay Area (19 miles) · I-5 South in Sacramento (13 miles) · SR-12 West in Bay Area (10 miles) · SR-4 West in Bay Area (6 miles)

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

More drives

Pittsburg 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	81	89	87	102	89	89	89	89	88	90	91	104	105	86	79	78	78
Tue	82	91	94	105	101	90	87	87	88	89	94	115	126	106	79	79	78
Wed	80	92	91	103	97	89	88	87	88	88	94	117	127	110	80	78	78
Thu	81	93	89	102	96	88	87	87	86	89	98	118	123	100	79	78	79
Fri	77	86	86	89	86	85	85	84	85	89	100	111	109	90	82	79	78
Sat	77	77	77	78	79	80	81	80	81	80	80	79	79	78	78	77	77
Sun	78	78	77	77	78	78	80	80	81	81	81	80	80	79	79	77	78

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	89	87	102	89	89	89	89	88	90	91	104	105	86	79	78	78
Tue	82	91	94	105	101	90	87	87	88	89	94	115	126	106	79	79	78
Wed	80	92	91	103	97	89	88	87	88	88	94	117	127	110	80	78	78
Thu	81	93	89	102	96	88	87	87	86	89	98	118	123	100	79	78	79
Fri	77	86	86	89	86	85	85	84	85	89	100	111	109	90	82	79	78
Sat	77	77	77	78	79	80	81	80	81	80	80	79	79	78	78	77	77
Sun	78	78	77	77	78	78	80	80	81	81	81	80	80	79	79	77	78

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	89	87	102	89	89	89	89	88	90	91	104	105	86	79	78	78
Tue	82	91	94	105	101	90	87	87	88	89	94	115	126	106	79	79	78
Wed	80	92	91	103	97	89	88	87	88	88	94	117	127	110	80	78	78
Thu	81	93	89	102	96	88	87	87	86	89	98	118	123	100	79	78	79
Fri	77	86	86	89	86	85	85	84	85	89	100	111	109	90	82	79	78
Sat	77	77	77	78	79	80	81	80	81	80	80	79	79	78	78	77	77
Sun	78	78	77	77	78	78	80	80	81	81	81	80	80	79	79	77	78