Best Time to Drive from San Mateo to Berkeley

Right now (7:50 pm PST): about 36 minutes via US-101 North and I-80 East, usually 33 at this time.

Only 35% 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 Berkeley 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	30	32	37	52	47	37	36	35	35	37	45	44	49	41	34	32	31
Tue	30	32	38	54	52	40	37	36	34	38	45	46	52	44	36	33	31
Wed	30	31	38	55	54	38	36	35	35	37	45	49	55	46	36	33	31
Thu	30	31	38	56	55	39	36	35	35	39	47	50	55	49	38	33	31
Fri	30	31	36	46	41	36	38	39	41	45	53	55	55	47	39	33	31
Sat	31	30	31	31	31	34	39	41	42	42	44	44	44	39	36	34	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	32	36	38	40	42	42	41	41	39	37	35	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from San Mateo to Berkeley (via US-101 North and I-80 East) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 59 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 27 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 19 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Mateo (South El Camino Real) to central Berkeley (Martin Luther King Junior Way) 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 Berkeley?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 59 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 31-mile drive usually takes 30 to 59 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Mateo to Berkeley?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 59 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (18 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Berkeley to San Mateo (return trip) · San Mateo to San Francisco · San Mateo to Oakland · San Mateo to San Jose · San Mateo to Palo Alto · 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	30	32	37	52	47	37	36	35	35	37	45	44	49	41	34	32	31
Tue	30	32	38	54	52	40	37	36	34	38	45	46	52	44	36	33	31
Wed	30	31	38	55	54	38	36	35	35	37	45	49	55	46	36	33	31
Thu	30	31	38	56	55	39	36	35	35	39	47	50	55	49	38	33	31
Fri	30	31	36	46	41	36	38	39	41	45	53	55	55	47	39	33	31
Sat	31	30	31	31	31	34	39	41	42	42	44	44	44	39	36	34	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	32	36	38	40	42	42	41	41	39	37	35	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	32	37	52	47	37	36	35	35	37	45	44	49	41	34	32	31
Tue	30	32	38	54	52	40	37	36	34	38	45	46	52	44	36	33	31
Wed	30	31	38	55	54	38	36	35	35	37	45	49	55	46	36	33	31
Thu	30	31	38	56	55	39	36	35	35	39	47	50	55	49	38	33	31
Fri	30	31	36	46	41	36	38	39	41	45	53	55	55	47	39	33	31
Sat	31	30	31	31	31	34	39	41	42	42	44	44	44	39	36	34	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	32	36	38	40	42	42	41	41	39	37	35	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	32	37	52	47	37	36	35	35	37	45	44	49	41	34	32	31
Tue	30	32	38	54	52	40	37	36	34	38	45	46	52	44	36	33	31
Wed	30	31	38	55	54	38	36	35	35	37	45	49	55	46	36	33	31
Thu	30	31	38	56	55	39	36	35	35	39	47	50	55	49	38	33	31
Fri	30	31	36	46	41	36	38	39	41	45	53	55	55	47	39	33	31
Sat	31	30	31	31	31	34	39	41	42	42	44	44	44	39	36	34	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	32	36	38	40	42	42	41	41	39	37	35	31