Best Time to Drive from Sacramento to San Francisco

Right now (2:21 pm PST): about 97 minutes via I-80 West, usually 95 at this time.

Only 31% 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 San Francisco 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	87	105	115	107	99	95	93	92	91	92	91	95	92	86	82	81	81
Tue	87	106	120	114	104	97	91	90	90	93	91	100	101	92	82	81	80
Wed	86	106	117	111	102	98	93	90	89	91	92	104	103	92	82	81	81
Thu	87	107	118	111	103	98	92	91	92	96	98	113	105	91	82	81	81
Fri	83	94	99	95	92	92	93	94	94	98	102	115	107	96	85	82	80
Sat	80	81	82	83	87	98	108	108	106	105	102	101	97	90	87	84	81
Sun	80	80	81	81	84	90	97	104	107	108	105	104	103	97	91	85	81

About this drive

On weekdays the 88-mile drive from Sacramento to San Francisco (via I-80 West) usually takes as little as 80 minutes and up to 120 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 92 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (111 minutes).

About 82 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Sacramento (the Capitol) (9th Street) to downtown San Francisco (Market Street) 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 San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 80 minutes then, versus up to 120 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Sacramento to San Francisco?

The 88-mile drive usually takes 80 to 120 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 92 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sacramento to San Francisco?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 120 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (55 miles) · I-80 West in Sacramento (21 miles) · US-50 West in Sacramento (4 miles)

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

Sacramento to San Francisco over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	87	105	115	107	99	95	93	92	91	92	91	95	92	86	82	81	81
Tue	87	106	120	114	104	97	91	90	90	93	91	100	101	92	82	81	80
Wed	86	106	117	111	102	98	93	90	89	91	92	104	103	92	82	81	81
Thu	87	107	118	111	103	98	92	91	92	96	98	113	105	91	82	81	81
Fri	83	94	99	95	92	92	93	94	94	98	102	115	107	96	85	82	80
Sat	80	81	82	83	87	98	108	108	106	105	102	101	97	90	87	84	81
Sun	80	80	81	81	84	90	97	104	107	108	105	104	103	97	91	85	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	87	105	115	107	99	95	93	92	91	92	91	95	92	86	82	81	81
Tue	87	106	120	114	104	97	91	90	90	93	91	100	101	92	82	81	80
Wed	86	106	117	111	102	98	93	90	89	91	92	104	103	92	82	81	81
Thu	87	107	118	111	103	98	92	91	92	96	98	113	105	91	82	81	81
Fri	83	94	99	95	92	92	93	94	94	98	102	115	107	96	85	82	80
Sat	80	81	82	83	87	98	108	108	106	105	102	101	97	90	87	84	81
Sun	80	80	81	81	84	90	97	104	107	108	105	104	103	97	91	85	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	87	105	115	107	99	95	93	92	91	92	91	95	92	86	82	81	81
Tue	87	106	120	114	104	97	91	90	90	93	91	100	101	92	82	81	80
Wed	86	106	117	111	102	98	93	90	89	91	92	104	103	92	82	81	81
Thu	87	107	118	111	103	98	92	91	92	96	98	113	105	91	82	81	81
Fri	83	94	99	95	92	92	93	94	94	98	102	115	107	96	85	82	80
Sat	80	81	82	83	87	98	108	108	106	105	102	101	97	90	87	84	81
Sun	80	80	81	81	84	90	97	104	107	108	105	104	103	97	91	85	81