Estimating travel times for an upcoming journey can be deceiving when checking navigation during off-peak hours. A route that takes twenty minutes on a quiet Sunday afternoon could easily take forty-five minutes or more during weekday rush hour. If you only check Google Maps right before leaving the house, unexpected gridlock and school run delays can cause you to miss flights, doctor appointments, or critical business meetings.
To eliminate this guesswork, Google Maps features a powerful trip-planning tool: Set depart or arrive by time. Available on both desktop browsers and mobile apps, this feature models predicted traffic conditions using historical sensor data, seasonal transit patterns, and speed profiles. You can specify exactly when you plan to depart or what time you need to arrive at your destination, and Google Maps calculates your optimal departure window and projected travel duration. This guide explains how to use departure and arrival time planning across mobile and desktop devices.
How to Set Departure or Arrival Times on Android and iPhone
Configuring a future trip in the mobile Google Maps application requires just a few taps:
- Open the Google Maps app on your smartphone.
- In the top search bar, type your destination address or business name and select it from the results.
- Tap the blue Directions button in the bottom-left corner.
- Ensure your starting point is accurate (by default, it uses “Your location”).
- Select your preferred transportation mode from the top bar (driving, public transport, walking, or cycling).
- Tap the three vertical dots (More options) icon located in the top-right corner of the screen, next to your starting location.
- Select Set depart or arrive time from the context menu.
- Choose between the Depart or Arrive tabs:
- Depart: Specify the future date and time you intend to hit the road to see projected arrival times.
- Arrive: Specify the exact deadline when you need to be at your destination to discover the latest recommended departure time.
- Select your target date and time using the scroll wheels, then tap Done (or Set).
Google Maps recalculates the route immediately, displaying a predicted travel time window (such as “Typically 35–50 min”) based on typical traffic density for that day and hour.
How to Set Departure or Arrival Times on Desktop (Web Browser)
Planning routes on a larger computer screen offers an even clearer visualisation of traffic patterns:
- Navigate to maps.google.com in your preferred web browser.
- Click the blue Directions icon (arrow inside a diamond) next to the search box.
- Enter your starting location and destination.
- Beneath your travel mode icons (car, transit, walking), locate the dropdown menu that currently says Leave now.
- Click Leave now and choose either Depart at or Arrive by.
- Set your desired date and time from the dropdown pickers.
The interactive route map updates to reflect typical road congestion, highlighting congested motorway sections in orange or red and offering alternative detour suggestions.
Setting Reminders to Leave on Time
On mobile devices, Google Maps allows you to turn your planned journey into an automated calendar alert:
- After selecting your future arrival time in the mobile app, tap the three dots icon again.
- Select Remind you to leave.
- Toggle on the reminder switch and confirm your departure time.
When the appointed time approaches, Google Maps sends a push notification to your phone or smartwatch alerting you that it is time to depart based on real-time traffic updates.
Leveraging arrival and departure time predictions removes anxiety from long road trips and morning commutes, ensuring you always arrive punctually.