Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Hayward

Right now (8:50 pm PST): about 34 minutes via I-580 West and I-80 East, usually 32 at this time.

Only 8% 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 San Francisco to Hayward 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	31	33	37	48	42	41	37	38	37	37	39	39	39	38	36	35	32
Tue	31	33	38	54	45	41	38	35	36	36	40	39	42	39	38	36	32
Wed	31	31	35	53	42	36	35	34	34	36	37	37	38	37	34	34	32
Thu	31	33	39	59	45	38	36	37	36	38	39	37	39	39	34	34	32
Fri	31	32	33	43	37	35	37	35	36	37	38	38	37	36	35	33	33
Sat	31	31	32	32	33	35	36	35	35	37	36	36	35	35	35	35	33
Sun	31	31	31	32	32	34	35	36	36	36	35	35	34	35	34	34	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 26-mile drive from San Francisco to Hayward (via I-580 West and I-80 East) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 59 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).

About 18 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (15 to 28 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Francisco (Market Street) to central Hayward (Mission Boulevard) 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 San Francisco to Hayward?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 59 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 26-mile drive usually takes 31 to 59 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Hayward?

Leaving around 8 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 59 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (12 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (6 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Hayward to San Francisco (return trip) · San Francisco to San Jose · San Francisco to Palo Alto · San Francisco to Berkeley · San Francisco to Fremont · San Francisco to Walnut Creek · San Francisco to San Mateo · San Francisco to Mountain View · San Francisco to Pleasanton · San Francisco to Santa Clara · San Francisco to Richmond · San Francisco to Sacramento

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	33	37	48	42	41	37	38	37	37	39	39	39	38	36	35	32
Tue	31	33	38	54	45	41	38	35	36	36	40	39	42	39	38	36	32
Wed	31	31	35	53	42	36	35	34	34	36	37	37	38	37	34	34	32
Thu	31	33	39	59	45	38	36	37	36	38	39	37	39	39	34	34	32
Fri	31	32	33	43	37	35	37	35	36	37	38	38	37	36	35	33	33
Sat	31	31	32	32	33	35	36	35	35	37	36	36	35	35	35	35	33
Sun	31	31	31	32	32	34	35	36	36	36	35	35	34	35	34	34	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	33	37	48	42	41	37	38	37	37	39	39	39	38	36	35	32
Tue	31	33	38	54	45	41	38	35	36	36	40	39	42	39	38	36	32
Wed	31	31	35	53	42	36	35	34	34	36	37	37	38	37	34	34	32
Thu	31	33	39	59	45	38	36	37	36	38	39	37	39	39	34	34	32
Fri	31	32	33	43	37	35	37	35	36	37	38	38	37	36	35	33	33
Sat	31	31	32	32	33	35	36	35	35	37	36	36	35	35	35	35	33
Sun	31	31	31	32	32	34	35	36	36	36	35	35	34	35	34	34	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	33	37	48	42	41	37	38	37	37	39	39	39	38	36	35	32
Tue	31	33	38	54	45	41	38	35	36	36	40	39	42	39	38	36	32
Wed	31	31	35	53	42	36	35	34	34	36	37	37	38	37	34	34	32
Thu	31	33	39	59	45	38	36	37	36	38	39	37	39	39	34	34	32
Fri	31	32	33	43	37	35	37	35	36	37	38	38	37	36	35	33	33
Sat	31	31	32	32	33	35	36	35	35	37	36	36	35	35	35	35	33
Sun	31	31	31	32	32	34	35	36	36	36	35	35	34	35	34	34	32