Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Sacramento

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 130 minutes via I-80 East, usually 107 at this time.

Only 44% 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 Sacramento 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	80	85	88	89	92	93	94	95	95	98	111	108	106	95	87	84	82
Tue	80	86	90	88	89	90	90	90	91	96	125	123	116	103	88	84	81
Wed	80	83	88	87	87	88	89	89	90	95	130	124	119	103	88	84	81
Thu	81	84	91	88	86	90	91	92	94	110	124	125	120	107	89	84	81
Fri	80	83	84	85	86	88	89	94	107	121	137	133	124	107	93	85	81
Sat	80	80	80	82	84	89	92	93	99	102	98	95	91	87	86	84	80
Sun	80	80	79	80	82	86	89	91	89	91	89	89	87	85	87	84	80

About this drive

On weekdays the 87-mile drive from San Francisco to Sacramento (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 80 minutes and up to 137 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 95 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (103 minutes).

About 83 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 12 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 downtown Sacramento (the Capitol) (9th Street) 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 Sacramento?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 80 minutes then, versus up to 137 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 87-mile drive usually takes 80 to 137 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 95 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Sacramento?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 137 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Bay Area (56 miles) · I-80 East in Sacramento (22 miles) · US-50 East in Sacramento (3 miles) · I-5 North in Sacramento (1 mile)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow · Sacramento traffic right now · Sacramento traffic tomorrow

More drives

Sacramento 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	80	85	88	89	92	93	94	95	95	98	111	108	106	95	87	84	82
Tue	80	86	90	88	89	90	90	90	91	96	125	123	116	103	88	84	81
Wed	80	83	88	87	87	88	89	89	90	95	130	124	119	103	88	84	81
Thu	81	84	91	88	86	90	91	92	94	110	124	125	120	107	89	84	81
Fri	80	83	84	85	86	88	89	94	107	121	137	133	124	107	93	85	81
Sat	80	80	80	82	84	89	92	93	99	102	98	95	91	87	86	84	80
Sun	80	80	79	80	82	86	89	91	89	91	89	89	87	85	87	84	80

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	80	85	88	89	92	93	94	95	95	98	111	108	106	95	87	84	82
Tue	80	86	90	88	89	90	90	90	91	96	125	123	116	103	88	84	81
Wed	80	83	88	87	87	88	89	89	90	95	130	124	119	103	88	84	81
Thu	81	84	91	88	86	90	91	92	94	110	124	125	120	107	89	84	81
Fri	80	83	84	85	86	88	89	94	107	121	137	133	124	107	93	85	81
Sat	80	80	80	82	84	89	92	93	99	102	98	95	91	87	86	84	80
Sun	80	80	79	80	82	86	89	91	89	91	89	89	87	85	87	84	80

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	80	85	88	89	92	93	94	95	95	98	111	108	106	95	87	84	82
Tue	80	86	90	88	89	90	90	90	91	96	125	123	116	103	88	84	81
Wed	80	83	88	87	87	88	89	89	90	95	130	124	119	103	88	84	81
Thu	81	84	91	88	86	90	91	92	94	110	124	125	120	107	89	84	81
Fri	80	83	84	85	86	88	89	94	107	121	137	133	124	107	93	85	81
Sat	80	80	80	82	84	89	92	93	99	102	98	95	91	87	86	84	80
Sun	80	80	79	80	82	86	89	91	89	91	89	89	87	85	87	84	80