Best Time to Drive from Stockton to San Francisco

Right now (8:05 pm PDT): about 85 minutes via I-580 East, usually 83 at this time.

Only 42% 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 Stockton to San Francisco 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	96	92	140	138	119	96	94	93	91	95	105	122	115	112	97	83	82
Tue	96	95	143	141	132	102	94	91	91	99	120	125	113	104	101	87	82
Wed	97	95	146	142	145	105	94	91	91	99	120	128	114	109	106	93	85
Thu	98	94	147	142	142	99	94	90	92	107	131	143	123	108	104	93	90
Fri	96	90	135	132	99	96	90	93	104	125	147	134	114	99	88	87	84
Sat	82	81	82	84	86	96	102	102	101	101	98	99	101	98	91	87	82
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	86	91	94	99	95	94	92	124	131	94	84	82

About this drive

On weekdays the 83-mile drive from Stockton to San Francisco (via I-580 East) usually takes as little as 82 minutes and up to 149 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 95 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Sundays (131 minutes).

About 58 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 25 miles surface streets (31 to 77 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Stockton to downtown San Francisco 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 Stockton to San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 82 minutes then, versus up to 149 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Stockton to San Francisco?

The 83-mile drive usually takes 82 to 149 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 95 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Stockton to San Francisco?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 149 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 East in Bay Area (51 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (8 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Stockton (return trip) · Stockton to Sacramento · Stockton to Oakland · Stockton to San Jose · Stockton to Livermore · Stockton to Fremont · Stockton to Elk Grove · Stockton to Hayward · Stockton to Sunnyvale · Stockton to Roseville · Stockton to Concord · Stockton 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	96	92	140	138	119	96	94	93	91	95	105	122	115	112	97	83	82
Tue	96	95	143	141	132	102	94	91	91	99	120	125	113	104	101	87	82
Wed	97	95	146	142	145	105	94	91	91	99	120	128	114	109	106	93	85
Thu	98	94	147	142	142	99	94	90	92	107	131	143	123	108	104	93	90
Fri	96	90	135	132	99	96	90	93	104	125	147	134	114	99	88	87	84
Sat	82	81	82	84	86	96	102	102	101	101	98	99	101	98	91	87	82
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	86	91	94	99	95	94	92	124	131	94	84	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	96	92	140	138	119	96	94	93	91	95	105	122	115	112	97	83	82
Tue	96	95	143	141	132	102	94	91	91	99	120	125	113	104	101	87	82
Wed	97	95	146	142	145	105	94	91	91	99	120	128	114	109	106	93	85
Thu	98	94	147	142	142	99	94	90	92	107	131	143	123	108	104	93	90
Fri	96	90	135	132	99	96	90	93	104	125	147	134	114	99	88	87	84
Sat	82	81	82	84	86	96	102	102	101	101	98	99	101	98	91	87	82
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	86	91	94	99	95	94	92	124	131	94	84	82

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	96	92	140	138	119	96	94	93	91	95	105	122	115	112	97	83	82
Tue	96	95	143	141	132	102	94	91	91	99	120	125	113	104	101	87	82
Wed	97	95	146	142	145	105	94	91	91	99	120	128	114	109	106	93	85
Thu	98	94	147	142	142	99	94	90	92	107	131	143	123	108	104	93	90
Fri	96	90	135	132	99	96	90	93	104	125	147	134	114	99	88	87	84
Sat	82	81	82	84	86	96	102	102	101	101	98	99	101	98	91	87	82
Sun	82	82	82	82	83	86	91	94	99	95	94	92	124	131	94	84	82