Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Stockton

Right now (12:49 am PDT): about 82 minutes via I-580 West.

Only 41% 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 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	164	163	134	104	93	91	90	88	86	92	106	99	97	85	85	82
Tue	80	161	163	146	108	97	91	88	87	88	94	96	95	102	91	83	82
Wed	81	164	167	150	110	96	90	88	88	88	92	88	101	97	96	86	82
Thu	81	161	161	149	108	93	89	87	88	93	93	101	96	96	94	89	82
Fri	81	168	129	111	104	90	90	90	92	98	98	96	93	89	85	83	81
Sat	80	81	83	83	83	85	86	87	87	89	88	88	97	89	86	84	81
Sun	81	81	80	82	84	85	86	87	87	88	89	132	153	104	88	87	81

About this drive

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 174 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 90 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (153 minutes).

About 60 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 23 miles surface streets (29 to 71 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 Stockton 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 Stockton?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 80 minutes then, versus up to 174 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 174 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 90 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Stockton?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 174 minutes.

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	164	163	134	104	93	91	90	88	86	92	106	99	97	85	85	82
Tue	80	161	163	146	108	97	91	88	87	88	94	96	95	102	91	83	82
Wed	81	164	167	150	110	96	90	88	88	88	92	88	101	97	96	86	82
Thu	81	161	161	149	108	93	89	87	88	93	93	101	96	96	94	89	82
Fri	81	168	129	111	104	90	90	90	92	98	98	96	93	89	85	83	81
Sat	80	81	83	83	83	85	86	87	87	89	88	88	97	89	86	84	81
Sun	81	81	80	82	84	85	86	87	87	88	89	132	153	104	88	87	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	164	163	134	104	93	91	90	88	86	92	106	99	97	85	85	82
Tue	80	161	163	146	108	97	91	88	87	88	94	96	95	102	91	83	82
Wed	81	164	167	150	110	96	90	88	88	88	92	88	101	97	96	86	82
Thu	81	161	161	149	108	93	89	87	88	93	93	101	96	96	94	89	82
Fri	81	168	129	111	104	90	90	90	92	98	98	96	93	89	85	83	81
Sat	80	81	83	83	83	85	86	87	87	89	88	88	97	89	86	84	81
Sun	81	81	80	82	84	85	86	87	87	88	89	132	153	104	88	87	81

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	164	163	134	104	93	91	90	88	86	92	106	99	97	85	85	82
Tue	80	161	163	146	108	97	91	88	87	88	94	96	95	102	91	83	82
Wed	81	164	167	150	110	96	90	88	88	88	92	88	101	97	96	86	82
Thu	81	161	161	149	108	93	89	87	88	93	93	101	96	96	94	89	82
Fri	81	168	129	111	104	90	90	90	92	98	98	96	93	89	85	83	81
Sat	80	81	83	83	83	85	86	87	87	89	88	88	97	89	86	84	81
Sun	81	81	80	82	84	85	86	87	87	88	89	132	153	104	88	87	81