Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from SFO to Oakland
Right now (8:49 pm PDT): about 25 minutes via US-101 North and I-80 East, usually 24 at this time.
Only 32% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 24 | 24 | 30 | 35 | 37 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 24 |
| Tue | 24 | 24 | 29 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 33 | 31 | 27 | 25 | 24 |
| Wed | 23 | 24 | 29 | 39 | 43 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 33 | 32 | 27 | 25 | 24 |
| Thu | 23 | 24 | 28 | 40 | 41 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 31 | 36 | 34 | 29 | 26 | 24 |
| Fri | 23 | 24 | 26 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 24 |
| Sat | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
| Sun | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 23-mile drive from SFO to Oakland (via US-101 North and I-80 East) usually takes as little as 23 minutes and up to 43 minutes, when leaving around 9 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 26 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (30 minutes).
About 19 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 12 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) (Departures) to downtown Oakland (Broadway) 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 SFO to Oakland?
On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 23 minutes then, versus up to 43 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from SFO to Oakland?
The 23-mile drive usually takes 23 to 43 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 26 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from SFO to Oakland?
Leaving around 9 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 43 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
US-101 North in Bay Area (12 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (6 miles)
Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow
More drives
Oakland to SFO (return trip) · SFO to OAK · SFO to SJC · SFO to San Francisco · SFO to San Jose · SFO to Palo Alto · SFO to Berkeley · SFO to Fremont · SFO to Walnut Creek · SFO to Mountain View · SFO to Pleasanton · SFO to Santa Clara