The Bay Area’s slowest freeway stretches at rush hour
Every freeway segment has a typical speed for each hour of a weekday. Comparing the worst rush-hour hour (6–9 am and 3–7 pm) against the same stretch’s off-peak speed shows where congestion actually bites — not which road has the lowest speed limit. The ranking below refreshes continuously from observed 511 Bay Area traffic baselines. If you’re weighing a home purchase against a commute, this is the table to check before you fall in love with a listing on the wrong side of a chokepoint.
| # | Stretch | Off-peak | Worst hour | Slowdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US-101 N CESAR CHAVEZ ST → MARIPOSA ST | 85 mph | 19 mph (5 pm) | −78% |
| 2 | CA-4 E RAILROAD AVE → LOVERIDGE RD | 90 mph | 22 mph (5 pm) | −76% |
| 3 | CA-4 E LONE TREE WAY bypass → Sand Creek Rd | 89 mph | 26 mph (3 pm) | −71% |
| 4 | US-101 N Lombard St at Van Ness Ave → Divisadero St | 60 mph | 18 mph (3 pm) | −70% |
| 5 | US-101 S WOLFBACK RDG → CONZELMAN RD | 90 mph | 31 mph (5 pm) | −66% |
| 6 | CA-1 N Taraval St → FULTON ST | 55 mph | 20 mph (3 pm) | −64% |
| 7 | CA-4 W SOMERSVILLE RD → LOVERIDGE RD | 89 mph | 33 mph (6 am) | −63% |
| 8 | CA-17 S LARK AVE → LOS GATOS SARATOGA RD | 90 mph | 35 mph (5 pm) | −61% |
| 9 | I-580 E BELLAM BLVD → SIR FRANCIS DRAKE BLVD | 88 mph | 35 mph (5 pm) | −60% |
| 10 | CA-1 S FULTON ST → Taraval St | 61 mph | 25 mph (5 pm) | −59% |
| 11 | I-80 W TREASURE ISLAND RD → BAY BRIDGE - WEST SPAN | 90 mph | 37 mph (5 pm) | −59% |
| 12 | I-680 S MONTAGUE EXPY → N CAPITOL AVE | 89 mph | 37 mph (5 pm) | −58% |
| 13 | CA-1 N BROTHERHOOD WAY → SLOAT BLVD | 55 mph | 23 mph (3 pm) | −58% |
| 14 | CA-1 S SLOAT BLVD → BROTHERHOOD WAY | 64 mph | 28 mph (4 pm) | −56% |
| 15 | US-101 N LAKEVILLE HWY → E WASHINGTON ST | 90 mph | 43 mph (5 pm) | −52% |
| 16 | I-580 E-CA-24 E Ramp I-580 E → CA-24 E | 89 mph | 44 mph (4 pm) | −51% |
| 17 | I-80 E BAY BRIDGE - CANTILEVER SECTION → I-880 S | 90 mph | 45 mph (4 pm) | −50% |
| 18 | CA-1 S SPENCER AVE → CONZELMAN RD | 90 mph | 45 mph (5 pm) | −50% |
| 19 | I-80 W BAY BRIDGE - CANTILEVER SECTION → TREASURE ISLAND RD | 88 mph | 44 mph (5 pm) | −50% |
| 20 | CA-84 E NEWARK BLVD → I-880 N | 83 mph | 42 mph (3 pm) | −49% |
| 21 | CA-92 W UPPER SKYLINE BLVD → PILARCITOS CREEK RD | 88 mph | 45 mph (5 pm) | −49% |
| 22 | CA-92 W LOWER SKYLINE BLVD → UPPER SKYLINE BLVD | 88 mph | 45 mph (5 pm) | −49% |
| 23 | CA-87 S LELONG ST → ALMADEN EXPY | 89 mph | 46 mph (5 pm) | −48% |
| 24 | CA-4 E LOVERIDGE RD → SOMERSVILLE RD | 90 mph | 47 mph (4 pm) | −48% |
| 25 | CA-37 W NOBLE RD → CA-121 | 88 mph | 46 mph (4 pm) | −48% |
How to read this
- “Off-peak” is the stretch’s typical night-hours speed; “worst hour” is its slowest typical weekday rush hour. The slowdown percentage is the gap between the two — a measure of congestion, not road quality.
- These are typical values. Any single day can be better or much worse — a stalled car erases the difference between the best and worst stretch on this list.
- Directions are ranked separately (the same bridge approach can be brutal westbound and free eastbound at the same hour).
- See live conditions anytime on the interactive map — the freeway traffic layer shows current speeds and incidents.
Source: 511 SF Bay (MTC) per-segment historical time-of-day baselines, collected continuously. Freeway segments over one mile with plausible speed data; weekday profile. Rankings refresh as the underlying baselines update.