Best Time to Drive from Santa Rosa to San Rafael

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 41 minutes via US-101 South, usually 36 at this time.

Only 79% 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 Santa Rosa to San Rafael 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	36	48	46	41	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	37	35	35	34
Tue	33	36	55	54	45	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	34	35	35
Wed	33	36	51	52	45	39	37	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	35	35	35
Thu	33	36	56	54	44	38	38	37	37	37	38	39	39	37	35	35	35
Fri	34	35	42	40	37	36	36	36	37	37	38	39	39	37	35	35	35
Sat	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	35	35	34	35	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	39	40	40	40	38	37	36	35	35	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Santa Rosa to San Rafael (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 59 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (40 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.6 miles surface streets (2 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Rosa to central San Rafael 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 Santa Rosa to San Rafael?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 59 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Rosa to San Rafael?

The 38-mile drive usually takes 33 to 59 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Rosa to San Rafael?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 59 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (34 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Rafael to Santa Rosa (return trip) · Santa Rosa to San Francisco · Santa Rosa to Sacramento · Santa Rosa to Oakland · Santa Rosa to Hayward · Santa Rosa to Concord · Santa Rosa to Vallejo · Santa Rosa to Berkeley · Santa Rosa to Fairfield · Santa Rosa to Antioch · Santa Rosa to Richmond · Santa Rosa to Daly City

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	36	48	46	41	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	37	35	35	34
Tue	33	36	55	54	45	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	34	35	35
Wed	33	36	51	52	45	39	37	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	35	35	35
Thu	33	36	56	54	44	38	38	37	37	37	38	39	39	37	35	35	35
Fri	34	35	42	40	37	36	36	36	37	37	38	39	39	37	35	35	35
Sat	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	35	35	34	35	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	39	40	40	40	38	37	36	35	35	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	36	48	46	41	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	37	35	35	34
Tue	33	36	55	54	45	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	34	35	35
Wed	33	36	51	52	45	39	37	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	35	35	35
Thu	33	36	56	54	44	38	38	37	37	37	38	39	39	37	35	35	35
Fri	34	35	42	40	37	36	36	36	37	37	38	39	39	37	35	35	35
Sat	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	35	35	34	35	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	39	40	40	40	38	37	36	35	35	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	36	48	46	41	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	37	35	35	34
Tue	33	36	55	54	45	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	34	35	35
Wed	33	36	51	52	45	39	37	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	35	35	35
Thu	33	36	56	54	44	38	38	37	37	37	38	39	39	37	35	35	35
Fri	34	35	42	40	37	36	36	36	37	37	38	39	39	37	35	35	35
Sat	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	35	35	34	35	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	39	40	40	40	38	37	36	35	35	34