Best Time to Drive from Sacramento to Richmond

Right now (7:32 pm PDT): about 72 minutes via I-80 West, usually 71 at this time.

Only 67% 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 Richmond 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	66	77	80	77	75	75	75	74	74	73	72	70	68	66	66	66	66
Tue	65	74	82	78	75	74	73	72	71	71	72	72	70	67	66	66	65
Wed	65	76	81	76	78	79	77	75	74	73	73	72	70	67	66	66	65
Thu	65	76	82	77	76	77	72	71	72	72	73	72	71	67	66	66	65
Fri	65	72	76	73	76	76	76	76	76	78	81	83	77	69	66	66	65
Sat	65	66	67	67	69	77	93	90	86	82	80	76	70	67	67	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	67	69	82	90	91	88	86	86	81	78	73	70	65

About this drive

On weekdays the 72-mile drive from Sacramento to Richmond (via I-80 West) usually takes as little as 65 minutes and up to 84 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 5 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 73 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (94 minutes).

About 66 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 13 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 Richmond 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 Richmond?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 5 pm. The drive usually takes about 65 minutes then, versus up to 84 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 72-mile drive usually takes 65 to 84 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 73 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sacramento to Richmond?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 84 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (39 miles) · I-80 West in Sacramento (17 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

Richmond 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	66	77	80	77	75	75	75	74	74	73	72	70	68	66	66	66	66
Tue	65	74	82	78	75	74	73	72	71	71	72	72	70	67	66	66	65
Wed	65	76	81	76	78	79	77	75	74	73	73	72	70	67	66	66	65
Thu	65	76	82	77	76	77	72	71	72	72	73	72	71	67	66	66	65
Fri	65	72	76	73	76	76	76	76	76	78	81	83	77	69	66	66	65
Sat	65	66	67	67	69	77	93	90	86	82	80	76	70	67	67	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	67	69	82	90	91	88	86	86	81	78	73	70	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	77	80	77	75	75	75	74	74	73	72	70	68	66	66	66	66
Tue	65	74	82	78	75	74	73	72	71	71	72	72	70	67	66	66	65
Wed	65	76	81	76	78	79	77	75	74	73	73	72	70	67	66	66	65
Thu	65	76	82	77	76	77	72	71	72	72	73	72	71	67	66	66	65
Fri	65	72	76	73	76	76	76	76	76	78	81	83	77	69	66	66	65
Sat	65	66	67	67	69	77	93	90	86	82	80	76	70	67	67	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	67	69	82	90	91	88	86	86	81	78	73	70	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	77	80	77	75	75	75	74	74	73	72	70	68	66	66	66	66
Tue	65	74	82	78	75	74	73	72	71	71	72	72	70	67	66	66	65
Wed	65	76	81	76	78	79	77	75	74	73	73	72	70	67	66	66	65
Thu	65	76	82	77	76	77	72	71	72	72	73	72	71	67	66	66	65
Fri	65	72	76	73	76	76	76	76	76	78	81	83	77	69	66	66	65
Sat	65	66	67	67	69	77	93	90	86	82	80	76	70	67	67	68	65
Sun	65	65	65	65	67	69	82	90	91	88	86	86	81	78	73	70	65