Best Time to Drive from Walnut Creek to San Rafael

Right now (5:06 pm PST): about 54 minutes via SR-24 West and I-80 East and I-580 East, usually 49 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Walnut Creek 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	32	33	34	36	37	35	35	35	35	36	41	42	45	41	34	33	32
Tue	31	32	34	37	40	37	35	35	35	37	42	45	47	43	34	33	32
Wed	31	32	34	37	38	36	35	35	35	37	42	45	49	44	35	33	32
Thu	31	33	34	37	39	35	34	34	35	37	41	45	50	44	36	33	32
Fri	31	32	33	34	35	35	35	35	37	41	45	50	51	44	36	33	32
Sat	32	32	34	34	34	35	37	37	38	38	39	40	39	36	35	35	33
Sun	32	32	31	33	35	36	37	37	38	40	39	40	39	37	38	37	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from Walnut Creek to San Rafael (via SR-24 West and I-80 East and I-580 East) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 51 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Sundays (40 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.4 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek to San Rafael?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 51 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 35-mile drive usually takes 31 to 51 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Walnut Creek to San Rafael?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 51 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-24 West in Bay Area (14 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (9 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Rafael 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 San Mateo · Walnut Creek to Mountain View · Walnut Creek to Pleasanton · Walnut Creek to Santa Clara · Walnut Creek to Richmond

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	36	37	35	35	35	35	36	41	42	45	41	34	33	32
Tue	31	32	34	37	40	37	35	35	35	37	42	45	47	43	34	33	32
Wed	31	32	34	37	38	36	35	35	35	37	42	45	49	44	35	33	32
Thu	31	33	34	37	39	35	34	34	35	37	41	45	50	44	36	33	32
Fri	31	32	33	34	35	35	35	35	37	41	45	50	51	44	36	33	32
Sat	32	32	34	34	34	35	37	37	38	38	39	40	39	36	35	35	33
Sun	32	32	31	33	35	36	37	37	38	40	39	40	39	37	38	37	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	36	37	35	35	35	35	36	41	42	45	41	34	33	32
Tue	31	32	34	37	40	37	35	35	35	37	42	45	47	43	34	33	32
Wed	31	32	34	37	38	36	35	35	35	37	42	45	49	44	35	33	32
Thu	31	33	34	37	39	35	34	34	35	37	41	45	50	44	36	33	32
Fri	31	32	33	34	35	35	35	35	37	41	45	50	51	44	36	33	32
Sat	32	32	34	34	34	35	37	37	38	38	39	40	39	36	35	35	33
Sun	32	32	31	33	35	36	37	37	38	40	39	40	39	37	38	37	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	36	37	35	35	35	35	36	41	42	45	41	34	33	32
Tue	31	32	34	37	40	37	35	35	35	37	42	45	47	43	34	33	32
Wed	31	32	34	37	38	36	35	35	35	37	42	45	49	44	35	33	32
Thu	31	33	34	37	39	35	34	34	35	37	41	45	50	44	36	33	32
Fri	31	32	33	34	35	35	35	35	37	41	45	50	51	44	36	33	32
Sat	32	32	34	34	34	35	37	37	38	38	39	40	39	36	35	35	33
Sun	32	32	31	33	35	36	37	37	38	40	39	40	39	37	38	37	33