The time it takes for alcohol to leave your system varies depending on several factors, including how much you drank and your body's metabolism. Generally, alcohol is metabolized at a rate of about one standard drink per hour. This means that if you had four drinks, it might take around four hours for your body to process all the alcohol. However, traces of alcohol can still be detected in urine, blood, and breath tests for several hours to days after drinking. Chronic heavy drinking can result in a buildup of alcohol metabolites in the body, prolonging the time it takes for alcohol to be eliminated.