Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from SFO to San Francisco
Right now (8:49 pm PDT): about 14 minutes via US-101 North, usually 13 at this time.
Only 41% 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 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 22 | 24 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 |
| Tue | 13 | 13 | 15 | 24 | 24 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
| Wed | 13 | 13 | 15 | 23 | 28 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
| Thu | 13 | 13 | 15 | 25 | 26 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 13 |
| Fri | 13 | 13 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
| Sat | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
| Sun | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 14-mile drive from SFO to San Francisco (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 13 minutes and up to 28 minutes, when leaving around 9 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 15 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Sundays (17 minutes).
About 12 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.3 miles surface streets (2 to 4 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 San Francisco (Market Street) 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 San Francisco?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 13 minutes then, versus up to 28 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from SFO to San Francisco?
The 14-mile drive usually takes 13 to 28 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 15 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from SFO to San Francisco?
Leaving around 9 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 28 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
US-101 North in Bay Area (12 miles)
Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow
More drives
San Francisco to SFO (return trip) · SFO to OAK · SFO to SJC · 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 · SFO to Santa Clara