Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to San Mateo
Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 21 minutes via US-101 South, usually 21 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 18 | 19 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 19 |
| Tue | 18 | 20 | 21 | 26 | 29 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
| Wed | 18 | 19 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
| Thu | 18 | 19 | 21 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
| Fri | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
| Sat | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
| Sun | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 19-mile drive from San Francisco to San Mateo (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 18 minutes and up to 29 minutes, when leaving around 9 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 21 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (23 minutes).
About 17 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 6 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 San Mateo (South El Camino Real) 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 San Mateo?
On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 18 minutes then, versus up to 29 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from San Francisco to San Mateo?
The 19-mile drive usually takes 18 to 29 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 21 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from San Francisco to San Mateo?
Leaving around 9 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 29 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
US-101 South in Bay Area (17 miles)
Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow
More drives
San Mateo 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 Hayward · San Francisco to Mountain View · San Francisco to Pleasanton · San Francisco to Santa Clara · San Francisco to Richmond · San Francisco to Sacramento