Best Time to Drive from San Mateo to OAK

Right now (2:19 pm PDT): about 34 minutes via I-880 North and SR-92 East, usually 34 at this time.

Only 39% 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 OAK 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	31	32	35	52	48	37	38	37	37	38	43	40	43	36	33	32	32
Tue	31	32	35	58	52	39	36	37	36	39	41	45	49	43	37	33	31
Wed	31	32	35	56	48	36	36	36	36	39	42	46	49	42	37	33	31
Thu	31	32	35	59	50	37	36	36	36	39	43	47	51	44	37	34	31
Fri	31	32	34	43	39	36	36	37	38	38	43	44	44	38	36	33	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	32	33	36	37	37	37	36	36	36	35	34	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	33	34	33	34	34	33	33	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 26-mile drive from San Mateo to OAK (via I-880 North and SR-92 East) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 60 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).

About 15 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 11 miles surface streets (18 to 39 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 Oakland International Airport (OAK) (John Glenn Drive) 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 OAK?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 60 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 26-mile drive usually takes 31 to 60 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Mateo to OAK?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 60 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (8 miles) · SR-92 East in Bay Area (7 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

OAK 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 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	35	52	48	37	38	37	37	38	43	40	43	36	33	32	32
Tue	31	32	35	58	52	39	36	37	36	39	41	45	49	43	37	33	31
Wed	31	32	35	56	48	36	36	36	36	39	42	46	49	42	37	33	31
Thu	31	32	35	59	50	37	36	36	36	39	43	47	51	44	37	34	31
Fri	31	32	34	43	39	36	36	37	38	38	43	44	44	38	36	33	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	32	33	36	37	37	37	36	36	36	35	34	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	33	34	33	34	34	33	33	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	35	52	48	37	38	37	37	38	43	40	43	36	33	32	32
Tue	31	32	35	58	52	39	36	37	36	39	41	45	49	43	37	33	31
Wed	31	32	35	56	48	36	36	36	36	39	42	46	49	42	37	33	31
Thu	31	32	35	59	50	37	36	36	36	39	43	47	51	44	37	34	31
Fri	31	32	34	43	39	36	36	37	38	38	43	44	44	38	36	33	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	32	33	36	37	37	37	36	36	36	35	34	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	33	34	33	34	34	33	33	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	35	52	48	37	38	37	37	38	43	40	43	36	33	32	32
Tue	31	32	35	58	52	39	36	37	36	39	41	45	49	43	37	33	31
Wed	31	32	35	56	48	36	36	36	36	39	42	46	49	42	37	33	31
Thu	31	32	35	59	50	37	36	36	36	39	43	47	51	44	37	34	31
Fri	31	32	34	43	39	36	36	37	38	38	43	44	44	38	36	33	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	32	33	36	37	37	37	36	36	36	35	34	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	33	34	33	34	34	33	33	32