Best Time to Drive from San Mateo to Richmond

Right now (2:36 am PST): about 35 minutes via US-101 North and I-80 East.

Only 25% 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 Richmond 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	34	35	38	50	47	40	38	38	37	39	49	49	52	45	37	35	34
Tue	34	35	38	52	50	41	38	38	37	40	48	53	59	50	39	36	34
Wed	33	35	38	53	53	40	38	38	38	40	48	55	60	52	40	36	34
Thu	34	35	39	53	53	40	38	38	37	41	48	54	60	54	42	37	35
Fri	33	35	38	45	42	39	39	39	40	46	52	58	58	49	41	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	34	35	37	40	41	43	41	42	42	41	38	37	36	35
Sun	34	34	33	33	34	35	36	38	39	40	39	39	38	37	37	37	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from San Mateo to Richmond (via US-101 North and I-80 East) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 60 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. 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 1 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 14 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 Richmond (Macdonald Avenue) 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 Richmond?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 60 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 35-mile drive usually takes 33 to 60 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Mateo to Richmond?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 60 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (18 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Richmond 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 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	34	35	38	50	47	40	38	38	37	39	49	49	52	45	37	35	34
Tue	34	35	38	52	50	41	38	38	37	40	48	53	59	50	39	36	34
Wed	33	35	38	53	53	40	38	38	38	40	48	55	60	52	40	36	34
Thu	34	35	39	53	53	40	38	38	37	41	48	54	60	54	42	37	35
Fri	33	35	38	45	42	39	39	39	40	46	52	58	58	49	41	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	34	35	37	40	41	43	41	42	42	41	38	37	36	35
Sun	34	34	33	33	34	35	36	38	39	40	39	39	38	37	37	37	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	35	38	50	47	40	38	38	37	39	49	49	52	45	37	35	34
Tue	34	35	38	52	50	41	38	38	37	40	48	53	59	50	39	36	34
Wed	33	35	38	53	53	40	38	38	38	40	48	55	60	52	40	36	34
Thu	34	35	39	53	53	40	38	38	37	41	48	54	60	54	42	37	35
Fri	33	35	38	45	42	39	39	39	40	46	52	58	58	49	41	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	34	35	37	40	41	43	41	42	42	41	38	37	36	35
Sun	34	34	33	33	34	35	36	38	39	40	39	39	38	37	37	37	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	35	38	50	47	40	38	38	37	39	49	49	52	45	37	35	34
Tue	34	35	38	52	50	41	38	38	37	40	48	53	59	50	39	36	34
Wed	33	35	38	53	53	40	38	38	38	40	48	55	60	52	40	36	34
Thu	34	35	39	53	53	40	38	38	37	41	48	54	60	54	42	37	35
Fri	33	35	38	45	42	39	39	39	40	46	52	58	58	49	41	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	34	35	37	40	41	43	41	42	42	41	38	37	36	35
Sun	34	34	33	33	34	35	36	38	39	40	39	39	38	37	37	37	34