Best Time to Drive from SFO to Walnut Creek

Right now (1:18 pm PDT): about 39 minutes via SR-24 East and US-101 North, usually 42 at this time.

Only 43% 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 Walnut Creek 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	35	38	45	48	50	40	39	38	38	40	48	48	48	43	38	36	35
Tue	35	38	44	52	52	42	39	39	38	40	49	58	62	49	39	37	35
Wed	34	37	43	51	57	43	38	39	38	42	51	59	62	51	40	37	35
Thu	34	37	41	53	54	43	39	39	38	42	52	61	64	53	42	37	35
Fri	34	36	38	44	42	39	40	40	40	47	53	61	57	47	39	36	35
Sat	34	36	39	38	39	41	44	44	43	41	42	42	41	40	39	39	35
Sun	34	34	34	38	39	41	41	45	43	42	41	42	40	41	41	41	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from SFO to Walnut Creek (via SR-24 East and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 64 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (48 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 9 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 Walnut Creek (North Main 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 Walnut Creek?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 64 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from SFO to Walnut Creek?

The 36-mile drive usually takes 34 to 64 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from SFO to Walnut Creek?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 64 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-24 East in Bay Area (13 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (12 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (1.1 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Walnut Creek 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 Mountain View · SFO to Pleasanton · SFO 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	35	38	45	48	50	40	39	38	38	40	48	48	48	43	38	36	35
Tue	35	38	44	52	52	42	39	39	38	40	49	58	62	49	39	37	35
Wed	34	37	43	51	57	43	38	39	38	42	51	59	62	51	40	37	35
Thu	34	37	41	53	54	43	39	39	38	42	52	61	64	53	42	37	35
Fri	34	36	38	44	42	39	40	40	40	47	53	61	57	47	39	36	35
Sat	34	36	39	38	39	41	44	44	43	41	42	42	41	40	39	39	35
Sun	34	34	34	38	39	41	41	45	43	42	41	42	40	41	41	41	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	38	45	48	50	40	39	38	38	40	48	48	48	43	38	36	35
Tue	35	38	44	52	52	42	39	39	38	40	49	58	62	49	39	37	35
Wed	34	37	43	51	57	43	38	39	38	42	51	59	62	51	40	37	35
Thu	34	37	41	53	54	43	39	39	38	42	52	61	64	53	42	37	35
Fri	34	36	38	44	42	39	40	40	40	47	53	61	57	47	39	36	35
Sat	34	36	39	38	39	41	44	44	43	41	42	42	41	40	39	39	35
Sun	34	34	34	38	39	41	41	45	43	42	41	42	40	41	41	41	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	38	45	48	50	40	39	38	38	40	48	48	48	43	38	36	35
Tue	35	38	44	52	52	42	39	39	38	40	49	58	62	49	39	37	35
Wed	34	37	43	51	57	43	38	39	38	42	51	59	62	51	40	37	35
Thu	34	37	41	53	54	43	39	39	38	42	52	61	64	53	42	37	35
Fri	34	36	38	44	42	39	40	40	40	47	53	61	57	47	39	36	35
Sat	34	36	39	38	39	41	44	44	43	41	42	42	41	40	39	39	35
Sun	34	34	34	38	39	41	41	45	43	42	41	42	40	41	41	41	35