Best Time to Drive from San Rafael to Hayward

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via I-580 West, usually 36 at this time.

Only 69% 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 Hayward 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	36	54	58	47	40	39	39	40	40	43	40	41	36	35	35	34
Tue	33	37	74	87	58	45	40	39	39	40	43	41	42	38	36	35	34
Wed	33	36	69	78	52	43	40	40	39	40	42	42	44	39	36	35	34
Thu	33	36	73	83	56	44	41	40	41	41	46	44	45	40	37	35	34
Fri	33	36	47	56	44	38	40	41	42	42	46	43	41	39	38	36	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	39	42	49	47	46	45	43	44	43	40	38	36
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	36	41	45	45	44	45	44	43	43	43	39	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from San Rafael to Hayward (via I-580 West) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 88 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 8 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 Hayward 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 Hayward?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 88 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Rafael to Hayward?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 33 to 88 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Rafael to Hayward?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 88 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (27 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (5 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (1.5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Hayward 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 · San Rafael to Elk Grove · San Rafael to Sunnyvale

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	36	54	58	47	40	39	39	40	40	43	40	41	36	35	35	34
Tue	33	37	74	87	58	45	40	39	39	40	43	41	42	38	36	35	34
Wed	33	36	69	78	52	43	40	40	39	40	42	42	44	39	36	35	34
Thu	33	36	73	83	56	44	41	40	41	41	46	44	45	40	37	35	34
Fri	33	36	47	56	44	38	40	41	42	42	46	43	41	39	38	36	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	39	42	49	47	46	45	43	44	43	40	38	36
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	36	41	45	45	44	45	44	43	43	43	39	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	36	54	58	47	40	39	39	40	40	43	40	41	36	35	35	34
Tue	33	37	74	87	58	45	40	39	39	40	43	41	42	38	36	35	34
Wed	33	36	69	78	52	43	40	40	39	40	42	42	44	39	36	35	34
Thu	33	36	73	83	56	44	41	40	41	41	46	44	45	40	37	35	34
Fri	33	36	47	56	44	38	40	41	42	42	46	43	41	39	38	36	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	39	42	49	47	46	45	43	44	43	40	38	36
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	36	41	45	45	44	45	44	43	43	43	39	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	36	54	58	47	40	39	39	40	40	43	40	41	36	35	35	34
Tue	33	37	74	87	58	45	40	39	39	40	43	41	42	38	36	35	34
Wed	33	36	69	78	52	43	40	40	39	40	42	42	44	39	36	35	34
Thu	33	36	73	83	56	44	41	40	41	41	46	44	45	40	37	35	34
Fri	33	36	47	56	44	38	40	41	42	42	46	43	41	39	38	36	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	39	42	49	47	46	45	43	44	43	40	38	36
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	36	41	45	45	44	45	44	43	43	43	39	35