Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Petaluma

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 41 minutes via US-101 North, usually 41 at this time.

Only 63% 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 Petaluma 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	37	39	41	43	43	42	41	42	42	42	45	52	54	43	41	39	38
Tue	37	41	42	43	43	42	41	39	40	39	47	58	62	49	41	40	37
Wed	37	38	39	40	40	39	39	39	39	39	46	58	63	49	39	38	37
Thu	37	39	42	44	40	41	41	41	41	42	48	60	65	52	39	38	37
Fri	37	37	38	39	38	39	39	39	39	41	49	60	56	44	38	38	37
Sat	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	40	41	42	42	42	41	41	40	40	39	38	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from San Francisco to Petaluma (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 65 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (42 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 7 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 Petaluma 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 Petaluma?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 65 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 39-mile drive usually takes 37 to 65 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Petaluma?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 65 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (36 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Petaluma 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	37	39	41	43	43	42	41	42	42	42	45	52	54	43	41	39	38
Tue	37	41	42	43	43	42	41	39	40	39	47	58	62	49	41	40	37
Wed	37	38	39	40	40	39	39	39	39	39	46	58	63	49	39	38	37
Thu	37	39	42	44	40	41	41	41	41	42	48	60	65	52	39	38	37
Fri	37	37	38	39	38	39	39	39	39	41	49	60	56	44	38	38	37
Sat	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	40	41	42	42	42	41	41	40	40	39	38	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	41	43	43	42	41	42	42	42	45	52	54	43	41	39	38
Tue	37	41	42	43	43	42	41	39	40	39	47	58	62	49	41	40	37
Wed	37	38	39	40	40	39	39	39	39	39	46	58	63	49	39	38	37
Thu	37	39	42	44	40	41	41	41	41	42	48	60	65	52	39	38	37
Fri	37	37	38	39	38	39	39	39	39	41	49	60	56	44	38	38	37
Sat	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	40	41	42	42	42	41	41	40	40	39	38	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	41	43	43	42	41	42	42	42	45	52	54	43	41	39	38
Tue	37	41	42	43	43	42	41	39	40	39	47	58	62	49	41	40	37
Wed	37	38	39	40	40	39	39	39	39	39	46	58	63	49	39	38	37
Thu	37	39	42	44	40	41	41	41	41	42	48	60	65	52	39	38	37
Fri	37	37	38	39	38	39	39	39	39	41	49	60	56	44	38	38	37
Sat	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	40	41	42	42	42	41	41	40	40	39	38	37