Best Time to Drive from Walnut Creek to San Mateo

Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 57 minutes via US-101 South and SR-24 West, usually 54 at this time.

Only 53% 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 Mateo 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	39	47	56	62	56	50	48	48	45	46	49	49	53	48	43	42	41
Tue	39	46	57	63	61	54	50	45	44	46	51	55	59	56	43	41	41
Wed	39	46	55	62	58	51	50	45	44	46	52	55	65	56	44	41	40
Thu	39	47	54	60	59	53	49	46	44	48	52	58	73	60	46	42	40
Fri	39	44	48	48	48	46	44	44	45	50	54	54	60	55	46	42	40
Sat	40	41	43	43	43	44	52	56	56	55	54	53	53	51	46	45	41
Sun	40	40	40	42	44	45	47	50	51	54	52	51	50	49	46	46	41

About this drive

On weekdays the 42-mile drive from Walnut Creek to San Mateo (via US-101 South and SR-24 West) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 73 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (57 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 12 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 central San Mateo (South El Camino Real) 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 Mateo?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 73 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 42-mile drive usually takes 39 to 73 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Walnut Creek to San Mateo?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 73 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (17 miles) · 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 Mateo to Walnut Creek (return trip) · Walnut Creek to San Francisco · 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 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	39	47	56	62	56	50	48	48	45	46	49	49	53	48	43	42	41
Tue	39	46	57	63	61	54	50	45	44	46	51	55	59	56	43	41	41
Wed	39	46	55	62	58	51	50	45	44	46	52	55	65	56	44	41	40
Thu	39	47	54	60	59	53	49	46	44	48	52	58	73	60	46	42	40
Fri	39	44	48	48	48	46	44	44	45	50	54	54	60	55	46	42	40
Sat	40	41	43	43	43	44	52	56	56	55	54	53	53	51	46	45	41
Sun	40	40	40	42	44	45	47	50	51	54	52	51	50	49	46	46	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	47	56	62	56	50	48	48	45	46	49	49	53	48	43	42	41
Tue	39	46	57	63	61	54	50	45	44	46	51	55	59	56	43	41	41
Wed	39	46	55	62	58	51	50	45	44	46	52	55	65	56	44	41	40
Thu	39	47	54	60	59	53	49	46	44	48	52	58	73	60	46	42	40
Fri	39	44	48	48	48	46	44	44	45	50	54	54	60	55	46	42	40
Sat	40	41	43	43	43	44	52	56	56	55	54	53	53	51	46	45	41
Sun	40	40	40	42	44	45	47	50	51	54	52	51	50	49	46	46	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	47	56	62	56	50	48	48	45	46	49	49	53	48	43	42	41
Tue	39	46	57	63	61	54	50	45	44	46	51	55	59	56	43	41	41
Wed	39	46	55	62	58	51	50	45	44	46	52	55	65	56	44	41	40
Thu	39	47	54	60	59	53	49	46	44	48	52	58	73	60	46	42	40
Fri	39	44	48	48	48	46	44	44	45	50	54	54	60	55	46	42	40
Sat	40	41	43	43	43	44	52	56	56	55	54	53	53	51	46	45	41
Sun	40	40	40	42	44	45	47	50	51	54	52	51	50	49	46	46	41