Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Napa

Right now (7:32 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via I-80 East, usually 55 at this time.

Only 61% 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 Napa 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	51	56	61	61	60	59	59	58	58	60	68	69	72	66	54	53	52
Tue	51	56	62	62	58	57	57	57	57	58	69	77	82	74	56	54	52
Wed	51	57	62	63	58	58	58	58	58	59	70	80	85	73	58	54	52
Thu	51	57	62	63	59	57	57	57	57	59	67	80	86	75	59	55	52
Fri	51	55	57	56	57	57	58	59	62	69	84	88	89	72	60	55	52
Sat	51	51	51	52	53	55	59	59	62	61	61	61	59	56	54	54	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	53	56	58	58	60	58	57	57	54	55	55	52

About this drive

On weekdays the 49-mile drive from San Francisco to Napa (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 51 minutes and up to 92 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 59 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (62 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 15 miles surface streets (21 to 31 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Francisco to central Napa 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 Napa?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 51 minutes then, versus up to 92 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 49-mile drive usually takes 51 to 92 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 59 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Napa?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 92 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Bay Area (31 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Napa 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 Hayward · San Francisco to Mountain View · San Francisco to Pleasanton · San Francisco to Santa Clara · San Francisco to Richmond

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	56	61	61	60	59	59	58	58	60	68	69	72	66	54	53	52
Tue	51	56	62	62	58	57	57	57	57	58	69	77	82	74	56	54	52
Wed	51	57	62	63	58	58	58	58	58	59	70	80	85	73	58	54	52
Thu	51	57	62	63	59	57	57	57	57	59	67	80	86	75	59	55	52
Fri	51	55	57	56	57	57	58	59	62	69	84	88	89	72	60	55	52
Sat	51	51	51	52	53	55	59	59	62	61	61	61	59	56	54	54	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	53	56	58	58	60	58	57	57	54	55	55	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	56	61	61	60	59	59	58	58	60	68	69	72	66	54	53	52
Tue	51	56	62	62	58	57	57	57	57	58	69	77	82	74	56	54	52
Wed	51	57	62	63	58	58	58	58	58	59	70	80	85	73	58	54	52
Thu	51	57	62	63	59	57	57	57	57	59	67	80	86	75	59	55	52
Fri	51	55	57	56	57	57	58	59	62	69	84	88	89	72	60	55	52
Sat	51	51	51	52	53	55	59	59	62	61	61	61	59	56	54	54	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	53	56	58	58	60	58	57	57	54	55	55	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	56	61	61	60	59	59	58	58	60	68	69	72	66	54	53	52
Tue	51	56	62	62	58	57	57	57	57	58	69	77	82	74	56	54	52
Wed	51	57	62	63	58	58	58	58	58	59	70	80	85	73	58	54	52
Thu	51	57	62	63	59	57	57	57	57	59	67	80	86	75	59	55	52
Fri	51	55	57	56	57	57	58	59	62	69	84	88	89	72	60	55	52
Sat	51	51	51	52	53	55	59	59	62	61	61	61	59	56	54	54	52
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	53	56	58	58	60	58	57	57	54	55	55	52