Best Time to Drive from SFO to Richmond

Right now (5:50 pm PST): about 62 minutes via US-101 North and I-80 East, usually 43 at this time.

Only 20% 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 SFO to Richmond 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	28	29	31	41	38	32	32	32	31	33	42	42	46	40	31	30	29
Tue	28	29	31	43	43	33	32	32	31	33	42	46	52	46	33	31	29
Wed	28	29	32	44	44	35	32	32	31	34	42	48	54	48	34	30	29
Thu	28	29	32	44	44	34	32	32	31	34	42	48	54	49	36	31	29
Fri	28	29	31	37	34	32	33	33	34	39	46	52	52	43	35	31	29
Sat	29	28	28	29	29	31	33	34	36	35	36	36	35	32	31	31	29
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	29	30	32	33	34	33	34	32	31	31	31	29

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from SFO to Richmond (via US-101 North and I-80 East) usually takes as little as 28 minutes and up to 55 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 32 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (36 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 13 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 central Richmond (Macdonald Avenue) 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 Richmond?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 55 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from SFO to Richmond?

The 29-mile drive usually takes 28 to 55 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 32 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from SFO to Richmond?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 55 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (12 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (3 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Richmond to SFO (return trip) · SFO to OAK · SFO to SJC · SFO to San Francisco · SFO to Oakland · 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	29	31	41	38	32	32	32	31	33	42	42	46	40	31	30	29
Tue	28	29	31	43	43	33	32	32	31	33	42	46	52	46	33	31	29
Wed	28	29	32	44	44	35	32	32	31	34	42	48	54	48	34	30	29
Thu	28	29	32	44	44	34	32	32	31	34	42	48	54	49	36	31	29
Fri	28	29	31	37	34	32	33	33	34	39	46	52	52	43	35	31	29
Sat	29	28	28	29	29	31	33	34	36	35	36	36	35	32	31	31	29
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	29	30	32	33	34	33	34	32	31	31	31	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	29	31	41	38	32	32	32	31	33	42	42	46	40	31	30	29
Tue	28	29	31	43	43	33	32	32	31	33	42	46	52	46	33	31	29
Wed	28	29	32	44	44	35	32	32	31	34	42	48	54	48	34	30	29
Thu	28	29	32	44	44	34	32	32	31	34	42	48	54	49	36	31	29
Fri	28	29	31	37	34	32	33	33	34	39	46	52	52	43	35	31	29
Sat	29	28	28	29	29	31	33	34	36	35	36	36	35	32	31	31	29
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	29	30	32	33	34	33	34	32	31	31	31	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	29	31	41	38	32	32	32	31	33	42	42	46	40	31	30	29
Tue	28	29	31	43	43	33	32	32	31	33	42	46	52	46	33	31	29
Wed	28	29	32	44	44	35	32	32	31	34	42	48	54	48	34	30	29
Thu	28	29	32	44	44	34	32	32	31	34	42	48	54	49	36	31	29
Fri	28	29	31	37	34	32	33	33	34	39	46	52	52	43	35	31	29
Sat	29	28	28	29	29	31	33	34	36	35	36	36	35	32	31	31	29
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	29	30	32	33	34	33	34	32	31	31	31	29