Traffic Predict

Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to OAK

Right now (10:19 pm PDT): about 25 minutes via I-880 South and I-80 East.

Only 30% 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.

On weekdays the 20-mile drive from San Francisco to OAK (via I-880 South and I-80 East) usually takes as little as 24 minutes and up to 40 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 28 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (28 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: OAK to San Francisco

Freeway, about 14 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 6 miles: 12 to 19 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from downtown San Francisco (Market Street) to Oakland International Airport (OAK) (John Glenn Drive) along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from San Francisco to OAK by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave5am6am7am8am9am10am11am12pm1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm9pm
Mon2426273132313030282931333531282725
Tue2426263032323028272931364036322725
Wed2424252928262626262729333832272625
Thu2425273231282828283030323736272625
Fri2425252728272729272830343634262625
Sat2424242425252525262627282826262625
Sun2424242525262728272827282827272724

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 OAK?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 24 minutes then, versus up to 40 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 20-mile drive usually takes 24 to 40 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 28 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to OAK?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 40 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (8 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

OAK 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 →