Best Time to Drive from San Rafael to Elk Grove

Right now (6:48 pm PDT): about 96 minutes via I-80 East, usually 94 at this time.

Only 71% 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 Rafael to Elk Grove 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	91	94	96	100	103	103	104	104	104	109	114	109	100	96	93	92	91
Tue	92	94	98	101	102	100	100	100	101	108	119	123	109	103	94	91	91
Wed	91	95	99	102	103	101	101	100	101	107	117	118	108	97	93	91	91
Thu	91	94	98	102	102	100	100	100	103	113	117	119	105	104	93	91	90
Fri	91	93	95	99	100	99	100	103	110	118	121	114	110	103	98	93	91
Sat	90	91	91	92	94	96	98	98	101	103	103	100	100	97	95	92	89
Sun	90	91	90	90	91	94	96	97	98	99	98	96	96	94	94	92	90

About this drive

On weekdays the 96-mile drive from San Rafael to Elk Grove (via I-80 East) usually takes as little as 90 minutes and up to 123 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 104 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (103 minutes).

About 86 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (14 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Rafael to central Elk Grove 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 Rafael to Elk Grove?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 90 minutes then, versus up to 123 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Rafael to Elk Grove?

The 96-mile drive usually takes 90 to 123 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 104 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Rafael to Elk Grove?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 123 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Bay Area (26 miles) · I-80 East in Sacramento (21 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (12 miles) · SR-99 South in Sacramento (11 miles) · SR-37 East in Bay Area (10 miles) · US-50 East in Sacramento (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow · Sacramento traffic right now · Sacramento traffic tomorrow

More drives

Elk Grove to San Rafael (return trip) · San Rafael to San Jose · San Rafael to San Francisco · San Rafael to Oakland · San Rafael to Stockton · San Rafael to Fremont · San Rafael to Santa Rosa

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	91	94	96	100	103	103	104	104	104	109	114	109	100	96	93	92	91
Tue	92	94	98	101	102	100	100	100	101	108	119	123	109	103	94	91	91
Wed	91	95	99	102	103	101	101	100	101	107	117	118	108	97	93	91	91
Thu	91	94	98	102	102	100	100	100	103	113	117	119	105	104	93	91	90
Fri	91	93	95	99	100	99	100	103	110	118	121	114	110	103	98	93	91
Sat	90	91	91	92	94	96	98	98	101	103	103	100	100	97	95	92	89
Sun	90	91	90	90	91	94	96	97	98	99	98	96	96	94	94	92	90

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	91	94	96	100	103	103	104	104	104	109	114	109	100	96	93	92	91
Tue	92	94	98	101	102	100	100	100	101	108	119	123	109	103	94	91	91
Wed	91	95	99	102	103	101	101	100	101	107	117	118	108	97	93	91	91
Thu	91	94	98	102	102	100	100	100	103	113	117	119	105	104	93	91	90
Fri	91	93	95	99	100	99	100	103	110	118	121	114	110	103	98	93	91
Sat	90	91	91	92	94	96	98	98	101	103	103	100	100	97	95	92	89
Sun	90	91	90	90	91	94	96	97	98	99	98	96	96	94	94	92	90

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	91	94	96	100	103	103	104	104	104	109	114	109	100	96	93	92	91
Tue	92	94	98	101	102	100	100	100	101	108	119	123	109	103	94	91	91
Wed	91	95	99	102	103	101	101	100	101	107	117	118	108	97	93	91	91
Thu	91	94	98	102	102	100	100	100	103	113	117	119	105	104	93	91	90
Fri	91	93	95	99	100	99	100	103	110	118	121	114	110	103	98	93	91
Sat	90	91	91	92	94	96	98	98	101	103	103	100	100	97	95	92	89
Sun	90	91	90	90	91	94	96	97	98	99	98	96	96	94	94	92	90