Best Time to Drive from San Rafael to Vacaville

Right now (7:20 pm PDT): about 52 minutes via I-80 East and US-101 North and SR-37 East, usually 52 at this time.

Only 59% 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 Vacaville 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	50	52	52	55	55	55	55	55	55	55	56	57	57	54	51	51	50
Tue	50	52	53	56	56	55	54	54	54	55	56	60	62	58	52	50	50
Wed	50	52	53	56	57	55	55	54	54	55	56	59	60	55	52	51	50
Thu	50	52	53	56	56	55	54	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	52	51	50
Fri	50	51	52	54	54	54	55	55	57	57	59	59	61	57	54	52	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	52	52	52	53	54	54	53	52	51	50
Sun	50	51	50	50	50	51	52	53	55	55	54	54	54	53	52	51	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from San Rafael to Vacaville (via I-80 East and US-101 North and SR-37 East) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 62 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (55 minutes).

About 40 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (14 to 16 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 Vacaville 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 Vacaville?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 62 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 51-mile drive usually takes 50 to 62 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Rafael to Vacaville?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 62 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Bay Area (19 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (12 miles) · SR-37 East in Bay Area (10 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Vacaville 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 Hayward · San Rafael to Sunnyvale · San Rafael to Concord · San Rafael to Santa Clara

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	52	52	55	55	55	55	55	55	55	56	57	57	54	51	51	50
Tue	50	52	53	56	56	55	54	54	54	55	56	60	62	58	52	50	50
Wed	50	52	53	56	57	55	55	54	54	55	56	59	60	55	52	51	50
Thu	50	52	53	56	56	55	54	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	52	51	50
Fri	50	51	52	54	54	54	55	55	57	57	59	59	61	57	54	52	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	52	52	52	53	54	54	53	52	51	50
Sun	50	51	50	50	50	51	52	53	55	55	54	54	54	53	52	51	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	52	52	55	55	55	55	55	55	55	56	57	57	54	51	51	50
Tue	50	52	53	56	56	55	54	54	54	55	56	60	62	58	52	50	50
Wed	50	52	53	56	57	55	55	54	54	55	56	59	60	55	52	51	50
Thu	50	52	53	56	56	55	54	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	52	51	50
Fri	50	51	52	54	54	54	55	55	57	57	59	59	61	57	54	52	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	52	52	52	53	54	54	53	52	51	50
Sun	50	51	50	50	50	51	52	53	55	55	54	54	54	53	52	51	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	52	52	55	55	55	55	55	55	55	56	57	57	54	51	51	50
Tue	50	52	53	56	56	55	54	54	54	55	56	60	62	58	52	50	50
Wed	50	52	53	56	57	55	55	54	54	55	56	59	60	55	52	51	50
Thu	50	52	53	56	56	55	54	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	52	51	50
Fri	50	51	52	54	54	54	55	55	57	57	59	59	61	57	54	52	50
Sat	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	52	52	52	53	54	54	53	52	51	50
Sun	50	51	50	50	50	51	52	53	55	55	54	54	54	53	52	51	50