Best Time to Drive from Walnut Creek to San Francisco

Right now (12:05 pm PST): about 33 minutes via SR-24 West and I-80 West, usually 31 at this time.

Only 50% 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 Walnut Creek 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	25	32	36	40	37	33	31	30	29	28	31	33	35	34	29	27	26
Tue	25	32	38	40	40	36	32	29	28	28	32	35	40	38	30	27	26
Wed	25	31	36	39	38	35	34	29	28	28	32	34	43	39	30	27	26
Thu	25	31	36	39	39	36	33	31	29	29	32	37	51	42	31	27	26
Fri	25	29	32	31	31	29	28	28	28	32	34	36	43	39	32	27	26
Sat	25	26	28	28	29	30	36	38	38	38	37	35	36	35	32	30	27
Sun	25	26	25	28	30	31	32	34	36	38	36	36	35	34	32	31	26

About this drive

On weekdays the 25-mile drive from Walnut Creek to San Francisco (via SR-24 West and I-80 West) usually takes as little as 25 minutes and up to 51 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 29 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (39 minutes).

About 22 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Walnut Creek (North Main Street) 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 Walnut Creek to San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 25 minutes then, versus up to 51 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Walnut Creek to San Francisco?

The 25-mile drive usually takes 25 to 51 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 29 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Walnut Creek to San Francisco?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 51 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-24 West in Bay Area (13 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (1.9 miles) · I-680 South in Bay Area (1 mile)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Walnut Creek (return trip) · Walnut Creek to Oakland · Walnut Creek to San Jose · Walnut Creek to Palo Alto · Walnut Creek to Berkeley · Walnut Creek to Fremont · Walnut Creek to San Mateo · Walnut Creek to Mountain View · Walnut Creek to Pleasanton · Walnut Creek to Santa Clara · Walnut Creek to Richmond · Walnut Creek to SFO

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	32	36	40	37	33	31	30	29	28	31	33	35	34	29	27	26
Tue	25	32	38	40	40	36	32	29	28	28	32	35	40	38	30	27	26
Wed	25	31	36	39	38	35	34	29	28	28	32	34	43	39	30	27	26
Thu	25	31	36	39	39	36	33	31	29	29	32	37	51	42	31	27	26
Fri	25	29	32	31	31	29	28	28	28	32	34	36	43	39	32	27	26
Sat	25	26	28	28	29	30	36	38	38	38	37	35	36	35	32	30	27
Sun	25	26	25	28	30	31	32	34	36	38	36	36	35	34	32	31	26

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	32	36	40	37	33	31	30	29	28	31	33	35	34	29	27	26
Tue	25	32	38	40	40	36	32	29	28	28	32	35	40	38	30	27	26
Wed	25	31	36	39	38	35	34	29	28	28	32	34	43	39	30	27	26
Thu	25	31	36	39	39	36	33	31	29	29	32	37	51	42	31	27	26
Fri	25	29	32	31	31	29	28	28	28	32	34	36	43	39	32	27	26
Sat	25	26	28	28	29	30	36	38	38	38	37	35	36	35	32	30	27
Sun	25	26	25	28	30	31	32	34	36	38	36	36	35	34	32	31	26

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	32	36	40	37	33	31	30	29	28	31	33	35	34	29	27	26
Tue	25	32	38	40	40	36	32	29	28	28	32	35	40	38	30	27	26
Wed	25	31	36	39	38	35	34	29	28	28	32	34	43	39	30	27	26
Thu	25	31	36	39	39	36	33	31	29	29	32	37	51	42	31	27	26
Fri	25	29	32	31	31	29	28	28	28	32	34	36	43	39	32	27	26
Sat	25	26	28	28	29	30	36	38	38	38	37	35	36	35	32	30	27
Sun	25	26	25	28	30	31	32	34	36	38	36	36	35	34	32	31	26