Traffic Predict

Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Oakland

Right now (11:31 am PDT): about 21 minutes via I-80 East, usually 17 at this time.

On weekdays the 11-mile drive from San Francisco to Oakland (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 16 minutes and up to 23 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 2:30 pm or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 17 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (18 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Oakland to San Francisco

Freeway, about 6 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 5 miles: 11 to 13 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 downtown Oakland (Broadway) 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 Oakland by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave5am6am7am8am9am10am11am12pm1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm9pm
Mon1616171818181718171818192019171716
Tue1616171818181717171718202120181716
Wed1616171818171717171718202221171716
Thu1616171818171717171819212221181816
Fri1616161717171717171819212219171716
Sat1616161616171717171718181817171717
Sun1616161616171717171717171717171716

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 Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 2:30 pm or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 16 minutes then, versus up to 23 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 11-mile drive usually takes 16 to 23 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 17 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Oakland?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 23 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

More drives

Oakland 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

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