Best Time to Drive from San Mateo to Benicia

Right now (5:49 pm PDT): about 61 minutes via I-80 East and US-101 North, usually 54 at this time.

Only 68% 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 Mateo to Benicia 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	49	50	53	61	61	57	55	55	54	57	69	70	73	62	52	51	49
Tue	49	50	53	62	63	57	55	54	53	56	70	77	81	68	54	52	49
Wed	49	50	53	63	64	56	54	54	54	57	71	85	85	71	56	52	49
Thu	49	50	53	63	64	57	55	54	54	58	70	89	88	74	59	52	50
Fri	49	50	53	57	58	55	55	57	62	72	93	98	90	72	59	52	49
Sat	49	49	49	50	51	53	58	57	61	60	60	59	58	54	53	52	50
Sun	49	49	49	48	49	51	52	54	57	56	55	54	53	52	53	52	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from San Mateo to Benicia (via I-80 East and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 100 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 48 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Mateo to central Benicia 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 Mateo to Benicia?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 100 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Mateo to Benicia?

The 53-mile drive usually takes 48 to 100 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Mateo to Benicia?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 100 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Bay Area (29 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (19 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Mateo to San Francisco · San Mateo to Oakland · San Mateo to San Jose · San Mateo to Palo Alto · San Mateo to Berkeley · San Mateo to Fremont · San Mateo to Walnut Creek · San Mateo to Mountain View · San Mateo to Santa Clara · San Mateo to Richmond · San Mateo to SJC · San Mateo to OAK

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	50	53	61	61	57	55	55	54	57	69	70	73	62	52	51	49
Tue	49	50	53	62	63	57	55	54	53	56	70	77	81	68	54	52	49
Wed	49	50	53	63	64	56	54	54	54	57	71	85	85	71	56	52	49
Thu	49	50	53	63	64	57	55	54	54	58	70	89	88	74	59	52	50
Fri	49	50	53	57	58	55	55	57	62	72	93	98	90	72	59	52	49
Sat	49	49	49	50	51	53	58	57	61	60	60	59	58	54	53	52	50
Sun	49	49	49	48	49	51	52	54	57	56	55	54	53	52	53	52	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	50	53	61	61	57	55	55	54	57	69	70	73	62	52	51	49
Tue	49	50	53	62	63	57	55	54	53	56	70	77	81	68	54	52	49
Wed	49	50	53	63	64	56	54	54	54	57	71	85	85	71	56	52	49
Thu	49	50	53	63	64	57	55	54	54	58	70	89	88	74	59	52	50
Fri	49	50	53	57	58	55	55	57	62	72	93	98	90	72	59	52	49
Sat	49	49	49	50	51	53	58	57	61	60	60	59	58	54	53	52	50
Sun	49	49	49	48	49	51	52	54	57	56	55	54	53	52	53	52	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	50	53	61	61	57	55	55	54	57	69	70	73	62	52	51	49
Tue	49	50	53	62	63	57	55	54	53	56	70	77	81	68	54	52	49
Wed	49	50	53	63	64	56	54	54	54	57	71	85	85	71	56	52	49
Thu	49	50	53	63	64	57	55	54	54	58	70	89	88	74	59	52	50
Fri	49	50	53	57	58	55	55	57	62	72	93	98	90	72	59	52	49
Sat	49	49	49	50	51	53	58	57	61	60	60	59	58	54	53	52	50
Sun	49	49	49	48	49	51	52	54	57	56	55	54	53	52	53	52	50