Best Time to Drive from Vacaville to San Rafael

Right now (7:20 pm PDT): about 56 minutes via I-80 West and SR-37 West, usually 54 at this time.

Only 59% 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 San Rafael 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	50	55	61	61	58	56	55	55	54	54	54	53	54	54	53	52	51
Tue	50	54	62	64	60	56	55	54	54	54	55	56	56	54	52	52	51
Wed	50	55	62	64	59	56	56	55	55	54	55	55	55	53	53	52	52
Thu	50	54	62	64	59	56	55	54	54	54	55	55	56	52	52	52	51
Fri	51	53	59	56	54	54	54	54	54	55	56	56	55	54	54	52	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	52	53	53	53	53	53	53	54	53	53	52	53	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	52	53	56	57	56	57	55	56	55	54	53	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from Vacaville to San Rafael (via I-80 West and SR-37 West) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 65 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (57 minutes).

About 39 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 12 miles surface streets (16 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Vacaville to central San Rafael 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 San Rafael?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 65 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Vacaville to San Rafael?

The 51-mile drive usually takes 50 to 65 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Vacaville to San Rafael?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 65 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (21 miles) · SR-37 West in Bay Area (11 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (7 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Rafael 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	50	55	61	61	58	56	55	55	54	54	54	53	54	54	53	52	51
Tue	50	54	62	64	60	56	55	54	54	54	55	56	56	54	52	52	51
Wed	50	55	62	64	59	56	56	55	55	54	55	55	55	53	53	52	52
Thu	50	54	62	64	59	56	55	54	54	54	55	55	56	52	52	52	51
Fri	51	53	59	56	54	54	54	54	54	55	56	56	55	54	54	52	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	52	53	53	53	53	53	53	54	53	53	52	53	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	52	53	56	57	56	57	55	56	55	54	53	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	55	61	61	58	56	55	55	54	54	54	53	54	54	53	52	51
Tue	50	54	62	64	60	56	55	54	54	54	55	56	56	54	52	52	51
Wed	50	55	62	64	59	56	56	55	55	54	55	55	55	53	53	52	52
Thu	50	54	62	64	59	56	55	54	54	54	55	55	56	52	52	52	51
Fri	51	53	59	56	54	54	54	54	54	55	56	56	55	54	54	52	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	52	53	53	53	53	53	53	54	53	53	52	53	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	52	53	56	57	56	57	55	56	55	54	53	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	55	61	61	58	56	55	55	54	54	54	53	54	54	53	52	51
Tue	50	54	62	64	60	56	55	54	54	54	55	56	56	54	52	52	51
Wed	50	55	62	64	59	56	56	55	55	54	55	55	55	53	53	52	52
Thu	50	54	62	64	59	56	55	54	54	54	55	55	56	52	52	52	51
Fri	51	53	59	56	54	54	54	54	54	55	56	56	55	54	54	52	51
Sat	51	51	52	52	52	53	53	53	53	53	53	54	53	53	52	53	51
Sun	51	51	51	51	51	52	53	56	57	56	57	55	56	55	54	53	51