Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Stockton

Right now (6:24 pm PDT): about 102 minutes via I-580 West, usually 106 at this time.

Only 42% 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.

On weekdays the 83-mile drive from San Francisco to Stockton (via I-580 West) usually takes as little as 80 minutes and up to 169 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 89 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (90 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Stockton to San Francisco

Freeway, about 60 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 23 miles: 29 to 71 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 to central Stockton 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 Stockton 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	81	162	161	104	97	95	91	90	88	86	94	104	108	112	85	84	82
Tue	80	161	159	128	109	95	90	88	86	88	93	96	99	111	96	84	82
Wed	80	162	161	132	100	98	92	88	88	90	97	88	110	112	97	83	82
Thu	81	164	160	146	99	93	88	87	87	87	84	104	90	98	112	99	82
Fri	80	158	120	94	92	89	90	88	92	86	99	110	104	92	83	83	80
Sat	80	83	85	84	85	87	88	88	88	87	87	87	88	86	85	85	81
Sun	81	80	81	83	85	86	87	89	89	89	89	90	90	89	89	89	81

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 Stockton?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 80 minutes then, versus up to 169 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 83-mile drive usually takes 80 to 169 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 89 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Stockton?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 169 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (51 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (5 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Stockton 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	81	162	161	104	97	95	91	90	88	86	94	104	108	112	85	84	82
Tue	80	161	159	128	109	95	90	88	86	88	93	96	99	111	96	84	82
Wed	80	162	161	132	100	98	92	88	88	90	97	88	110	112	97	83	82
Thu	81	164	160	146	99	93	88	87	87	87	84	104	90	98	112	99	82
Fri	80	158	120	94	92	89	90	88	92	86	99	110	104	92	83	83	80
Sat	80	83	85	84	85	87	88	88	88	87	87	87	88	86	85	85	81
Sun	81	80	81	83	85	86	87	89	89	89	89	90	90	89	89	89	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	162	161	104	97	95	91	90	88	86	94	104	108	112	85	84	82
Tue	80	161	159	128	109	95	90	88	86	88	93	96	99	111	96	84	82
Wed	80	162	161	132	100	98	92	88	88	90	97	88	110	112	97	83	82
Thu	81	164	160	146	99	93	88	87	87	87	84	104	90	98	112	99	82
Fri	80	158	120	94	92	89	90	88	92	86	99	110	104	92	83	83	80
Sat	80	83	85	84	85	87	88	88	88	87	87	87	88	86	85	85	81
Sun	81	80	81	83	85	86	87	89	89	89	89	90	90	89	89	89	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	162	161	104	97	95	91	90	88	86	94	104	108	112	85	84	82
Tue	80	161	159	128	109	95	90	88	86	88	93	96	99	111	96	84	82
Wed	80	162	161	132	100	98	92	88	88	90	97	88	110	112	97	83	82
Thu	81	164	160	146	99	93	88	87	87	87	84	104	90	98	112	99	82
Fri	80	158	120	94	92	89	90	88	92	86	99	110	104	92	83	83	80
Sat	80	83	85	84	85	87	88	88	88	87	87	87	88	86	85	85	81
Sun	81	80	81	83	85	86	87	89	89	89	89	90	90	89	89	89	81