Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Newark

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 39 minutes via US-101 South, usually 40 at this time.

Only 70% 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 Newark 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	36	37	40	45	45	41	40	41	41	40	44	45	44	41	39	38	37
Tue	36	37	42	52	51	43	40	39	39	40	46	49	47	44	41	38	37
Wed	36	36	41	52	48	41	39	39	39	40	46	47	49	44	40	39	37
Thu	36	37	44	52	48	45	40	39	39	42	52	50	49	44	41	39	37
Fri	36	36	38	40	39	39	39	39	40	41	44	44	42	42	39	38	37
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	40	40	41	39	38	37
Sun	36	36	36	36	36	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	38	39	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from San Francisco to Newark (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 55 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 13 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 Newark 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 Newark?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 55 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 39-mile drive usually takes 35 to 55 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Newark?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 55 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (33 miles) · SR-84 North in Bay Area (1.4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Newark 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	36	37	40	45	45	41	40	41	41	40	44	45	44	41	39	38	37
Tue	36	37	42	52	51	43	40	39	39	40	46	49	47	44	41	38	37
Wed	36	36	41	52	48	41	39	39	39	40	46	47	49	44	40	39	37
Thu	36	37	44	52	48	45	40	39	39	42	52	50	49	44	41	39	37
Fri	36	36	38	40	39	39	39	39	40	41	44	44	42	42	39	38	37
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	40	40	41	39	38	37
Sun	36	36	36	36	36	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	38	39	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	37	40	45	45	41	40	41	41	40	44	45	44	41	39	38	37
Tue	36	37	42	52	51	43	40	39	39	40	46	49	47	44	41	38	37
Wed	36	36	41	52	48	41	39	39	39	40	46	47	49	44	40	39	37
Thu	36	37	44	52	48	45	40	39	39	42	52	50	49	44	41	39	37
Fri	36	36	38	40	39	39	39	39	40	41	44	44	42	42	39	38	37
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	40	40	41	39	38	37
Sun	36	36	36	36	36	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	38	39	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	37	40	45	45	41	40	41	41	40	44	45	44	41	39	38	37
Tue	36	37	42	52	51	43	40	39	39	40	46	49	47	44	41	38	37
Wed	36	36	41	52	48	41	39	39	39	40	46	47	49	44	40	39	37
Thu	36	37	44	52	48	45	40	39	39	42	52	50	49	44	41	39	37
Fri	36	36	38	40	39	39	39	39	40	41	44	44	42	42	39	38	37
Sat	36	36	36	36	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	40	40	41	39	38	37
Sun	36	36	36	36	36	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	38	39	37