Best Time to Drive from San Rafael to Stockton

Right now (6:18 pm PDT): about 97 minutes via I-580 West, usually 90 at this time.

Only 50% 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 Stockton 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	139	141	119	107	101	98	96	95	93	99	95	99	90	89	88	87
Tue	91	138	161	150	118	104	97	95	93	94	97	96	99	93	89	88	87
Wed	92	138	165	146	115	104	97	96	95	94	95	96	103	94	88	88	87
Thu	91	138	158	139	114	104	96	95	95	94	102	97	101	95	92	90	87
Fri	94	146	142	122	108	96	97	97	97	99	100	99	98	94	91	89	87
Sat	86	87	89	89	91	94	98	104	102	102	100	100	100	99	95	93	87
Sun	86	85	86	87	89	92	96	100	101	101	102	122	131	101	99	95	87

About this drive

On weekdays the 93-mile drive from San Rafael to Stockton (via I-580 West) usually takes as little as 87 minutes and up to 168 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 96 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (131 minutes).

About 71 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 22 miles surface streets (6 to 15 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 Stockton 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 Stockton?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 87 minutes then, versus up to 168 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 93-mile drive usually takes 87 to 168 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 96 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Rafael to Stockton?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 168 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (64 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

Stockton to San Rafael (return trip) · San Rafael to San Jose · San Rafael to San Francisco · San Rafael to Oakland

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	139	141	119	107	101	98	96	95	93	99	95	99	90	89	88	87
Tue	91	138	161	150	118	104	97	95	93	94	97	96	99	93	89	88	87
Wed	92	138	165	146	115	104	97	96	95	94	95	96	103	94	88	88	87
Thu	91	138	158	139	114	104	96	95	95	94	102	97	101	95	92	90	87
Fri	94	146	142	122	108	96	97	97	97	99	100	99	98	94	91	89	87
Sat	86	87	89	89	91	94	98	104	102	102	100	100	100	99	95	93	87
Sun	86	85	86	87	89	92	96	100	101	101	102	122	131	101	99	95	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	91	139	141	119	107	101	98	96	95	93	99	95	99	90	89	88	87
Tue	91	138	161	150	118	104	97	95	93	94	97	96	99	93	89	88	87
Wed	92	138	165	146	115	104	97	96	95	94	95	96	103	94	88	88	87
Thu	91	138	158	139	114	104	96	95	95	94	102	97	101	95	92	90	87
Fri	94	146	142	122	108	96	97	97	97	99	100	99	98	94	91	89	87
Sat	86	87	89	89	91	94	98	104	102	102	100	100	100	99	95	93	87
Sun	86	85	86	87	89	92	96	100	101	101	102	122	131	101	99	95	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	91	139	141	119	107	101	98	96	95	93	99	95	99	90	89	88	87
Tue	91	138	161	150	118	104	97	95	93	94	97	96	99	93	89	88	87
Wed	92	138	165	146	115	104	97	96	95	94	95	96	103	94	88	88	87
Thu	91	138	158	139	114	104	96	95	95	94	102	97	101	95	92	90	87
Fri	94	146	142	122	108	96	97	97	97	99	100	99	98	94	91	89	87
Sat	86	87	89	89	91	94	98	104	102	102	100	100	100	99	95	93	87
Sun	86	85	86	87	89	92	96	100	101	101	102	122	131	101	99	95	87