Best Time to Drive from San Mateo to Oakland

Right now (4:03 pm PDT): about 44 minutes via I-880 North and SR-92 East, usually 46 at this time.

Only 40% 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 Oakland 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	33	35	37	49	46	38	38	38	38	39	44	44	43	39	36	35	34
Tue	33	34	37	54	49	40	37	37	37	39	44	49	50	47	40	35	33
Wed	33	34	37	54	47	38	37	37	38	40	45	49	50	45	39	35	33
Thu	33	34	37	57	49	39	37	37	38	39	46	49	51	48	40	36	34
Fri	33	35	36	43	40	37	37	38	39	40	46	46	44	40	37	35	33
Sat	33	34	34	34	34	35	39	39	39	39	38	39	39	37	35	35	33
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35	35	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from San Mateo to Oakland (via I-880 North and SR-92 East) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 57 minutes, when leaving around 8 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 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (39 minutes).

About 22 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (14 to 24 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 downtown Oakland (Broadway) 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 Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 57 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 31-mile drive usually takes 33 to 57 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Mateo to Oakland?

Leaving around 8 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 57 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (15 miles) · SR-92 East in Bay Area (7 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Oakland to San Mateo (return trip) · San Mateo to San Francisco · 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	33	35	37	49	46	38	38	38	38	39	44	44	43	39	36	35	34
Tue	33	34	37	54	49	40	37	37	37	39	44	49	50	47	40	35	33
Wed	33	34	37	54	47	38	37	37	38	40	45	49	50	45	39	35	33
Thu	33	34	37	57	49	39	37	37	38	39	46	49	51	48	40	36	34
Fri	33	35	36	43	40	37	37	38	39	40	46	46	44	40	37	35	33
Sat	33	34	34	34	34	35	39	39	39	39	38	39	39	37	35	35	33
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35	35	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	35	37	49	46	38	38	38	38	39	44	44	43	39	36	35	34
Tue	33	34	37	54	49	40	37	37	37	39	44	49	50	47	40	35	33
Wed	33	34	37	54	47	38	37	37	38	40	45	49	50	45	39	35	33
Thu	33	34	37	57	49	39	37	37	38	39	46	49	51	48	40	36	34
Fri	33	35	36	43	40	37	37	38	39	40	46	46	44	40	37	35	33
Sat	33	34	34	34	34	35	39	39	39	39	38	39	39	37	35	35	33
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35	35	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	35	37	49	46	38	38	38	38	39	44	44	43	39	36	35	34
Tue	33	34	37	54	49	40	37	37	37	39	44	49	50	47	40	35	33
Wed	33	34	37	54	47	38	37	37	38	40	45	49	50	45	39	35	33
Thu	33	34	37	57	49	39	37	37	38	39	46	49	51	48	40	36	34
Fri	33	35	36	43	40	37	37	38	39	40	46	46	44	40	37	35	33
Sat	33	34	34	34	34	35	39	39	39	39	38	39	39	37	35	35	33
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35	35	34