Best Time to Drive from Vacaville to Petaluma

Right now (7:04 pm PDT): about 61 minutes via I-80 West and SR-12 West, usually 60 at this time.

Only 39% 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 Vacaville to Petaluma 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	58	64	73	79	70	67	67	66	65	64	64	63	60	60	59	59	58
Tue	58	65	77	78	71	66	65	65	64	63	63	63	62	60	59	59	58
Wed	58	65	77	79	69	66	66	66	64	63	63	64	62	59	59	59	59
Thu	58	64	76	79	71	66	65	65	63	63	64	66	63	59	59	59	59
Fri	58	63	66	68	65	65	65	66	65	67	69	70	63	60	59	58	58
Sat	58	58	59	59	59	61	62	64	62	61	60	60	60	59	59	59	58
Sun	58	58	58	58	59	60	62	63	63	64	63	62	61	61	60	59	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 47-mile drive from Vacaville to Petaluma (via I-80 West and SR-12 West) usually takes as little as 58 minutes and up to 81 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 5 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 65 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (64 minutes).

About 19 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 27 miles surface streets (41 to 56 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Vacaville to central Petaluma 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 Vacaville to Petaluma?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 5 pm. The drive usually takes about 58 minutes then, versus up to 81 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Vacaville to Petaluma?

The 47-mile drive usually takes 58 to 81 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 65 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Vacaville to Petaluma?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 81 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (14 miles) · SR-12 West in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Petaluma to Vacaville (return trip) · Vacaville to San Francisco · Vacaville to Sacramento · Vacaville to Oakland · Vacaville to Fremont · Vacaville to Santa Rosa · Vacaville to Elk Grove · Vacaville to Hayward · Vacaville to Sunnyvale · Vacaville to Roseville · Vacaville to Concord · Vacaville 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	58	64	73	79	70	67	67	66	65	64	64	63	60	60	59	59	58
Tue	58	65	77	78	71	66	65	65	64	63	63	63	62	60	59	59	58
Wed	58	65	77	79	69	66	66	66	64	63	63	64	62	59	59	59	59
Thu	58	64	76	79	71	66	65	65	63	63	64	66	63	59	59	59	59
Fri	58	63	66	68	65	65	65	66	65	67	69	70	63	60	59	58	58
Sat	58	58	59	59	59	61	62	64	62	61	60	60	60	59	59	59	58
Sun	58	58	58	58	59	60	62	63	63	64	63	62	61	61	60	59	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	58	64	73	79	70	67	67	66	65	64	64	63	60	60	59	59	58
Tue	58	65	77	78	71	66	65	65	64	63	63	63	62	60	59	59	58
Wed	58	65	77	79	69	66	66	66	64	63	63	64	62	59	59	59	59
Thu	58	64	76	79	71	66	65	65	63	63	64	66	63	59	59	59	59
Fri	58	63	66	68	65	65	65	66	65	67	69	70	63	60	59	58	58
Sat	58	58	59	59	59	61	62	64	62	61	60	60	60	59	59	59	58
Sun	58	58	58	58	59	60	62	63	63	64	63	62	61	61	60	59	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	58	64	73	79	70	67	67	66	65	64	64	63	60	60	59	59	58
Tue	58	65	77	78	71	66	65	65	64	63	63	63	62	60	59	59	58
Wed	58	65	77	79	69	66	66	66	64	63	63	64	62	59	59	59	59
Thu	58	64	76	79	71	66	65	65	63	63	64	66	63	59	59	59	59
Fri	58	63	66	68	65	65	65	66	65	67	69	70	63	60	59	58	58
Sat	58	58	59	59	59	61	62	64	62	61	60	60	60	59	59	59	58
Sun	58	58	58	58	59	60	62	63	63	64	63	62	61	61	60	59	58