Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Pleasanton

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 51 minutes via I-580 West, usually 47 at this time.

Only 8% 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 Pleasanton 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	41	45	55	58	52	54	47	48	47	46	49	49	49	48	48	46	43
Tue	41	46	62	65	56	52	49	45	46	45	48	48	50	50	49	46	43
Wed	41	43	53	58	51	46	45	44	44	44	45	45	47	46	45	45	43
Thu	41	44	58	65	54	49	46	47	46	47	47	46	47	50	45	45	43
Fri	41	43	44	53	46	44	47	45	44	45	46	46	47	47	45	45	44
Sat	41	43	43	43	43	46	46	46	45	47	46	46	46	46	46	46	44
Sun	41	42	42	43	43	45	46	47	47	47	46	45	46	46	45	45	42

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from San Francisco to Pleasanton (via I-580 West) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (47 minutes).

About 32 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (13 to 26 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Francisco (Market Street) to central Pleasanton 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 Pleasanton?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 41 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Pleasanton?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (23 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-680 South in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Pleasanton 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 Santa Clara · San Francisco to Richmond · San Francisco to Sacramento

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	45	55	58	52	54	47	48	47	46	49	49	49	48	48	46	43
Tue	41	46	62	65	56	52	49	45	46	45	48	48	50	50	49	46	43
Wed	41	43	53	58	51	46	45	44	44	44	45	45	47	46	45	45	43
Thu	41	44	58	65	54	49	46	47	46	47	47	46	47	50	45	45	43
Fri	41	43	44	53	46	44	47	45	44	45	46	46	47	47	45	45	44
Sat	41	43	43	43	43	46	46	46	45	47	46	46	46	46	46	46	44
Sun	41	42	42	43	43	45	46	47	47	47	46	45	46	46	45	45	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	45	55	58	52	54	47	48	47	46	49	49	49	48	48	46	43
Tue	41	46	62	65	56	52	49	45	46	45	48	48	50	50	49	46	43
Wed	41	43	53	58	51	46	45	44	44	44	45	45	47	46	45	45	43
Thu	41	44	58	65	54	49	46	47	46	47	47	46	47	50	45	45	43
Fri	41	43	44	53	46	44	47	45	44	45	46	46	47	47	45	45	44
Sat	41	43	43	43	43	46	46	46	45	47	46	46	46	46	46	46	44
Sun	41	42	42	43	43	45	46	47	47	47	46	45	46	46	45	45	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	45	55	58	52	54	47	48	47	46	49	49	49	48	48	46	43
Tue	41	46	62	65	56	52	49	45	46	45	48	48	50	50	49	46	43
Wed	41	43	53	58	51	46	45	44	44	44	45	45	47	46	45	45	43
Thu	41	44	58	65	54	49	46	47	46	47	47	46	47	50	45	45	43
Fri	41	43	44	53	46	44	47	45	44	45	46	46	47	47	45	45	44
Sat	41	43	43	43	43	46	46	46	45	47	46	46	46	46	46	46	44
Sun	41	42	42	43	43	45	46	47	47	47	46	45	46	46	45	45	42