Best Time to Drive from Berkeley to Palo Alto

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 49 minutes via I-880 South, usually 50 at this time.

Only 52% 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 Berkeley to Palo Alto 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	41	50	70	66	58	53	51	51	49	50	50	55	59	51	45	43	42
Tue	40	52	74	76	66	57	51	49	48	49	51	60	64	56	46	43	42
Wed	40	52	72	73	64	55	50	49	48	51	53	63	64	56	46	43	42
Thu	40	52	72	74	66	58	51	49	49	51	53	62	67	60	47	43	43
Fri	41	47	51	51	51	50	49	50	50	53	55	62	63	55	47	42	42
Sat	42	43	47	46	46	50	53	52	52	54	55	56	58	55	49	49	43
Sun	41	41	42	44	47	49	51	52	52	53	52	52	54	52	49	50	44

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Berkeley to Palo Alto (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 76 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (58 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (12 to 23 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Berkeley (Martin Luther King Junior Way) to central Palo Alto (Middlefield Road) 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 Berkeley to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 76 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Berkeley to Palo Alto?

The 40-mile drive usually takes 40 to 76 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Berkeley to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 76 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (22 miles) · SR-84 South in Bay Area (6 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (2 miles) · I-980 West in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palo Alto to Berkeley (return trip) · Berkeley to San Francisco · Berkeley to San Jose · Berkeley to Fremont · Berkeley to Walnut Creek · Berkeley to San Mateo · Berkeley to Mountain View · Berkeley to Pleasanton · Berkeley to Santa Clara · Berkeley to SFO · Berkeley to OAK · Berkeley to SJC

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	50	70	66	58	53	51	51	49	50	50	55	59	51	45	43	42
Tue	40	52	74	76	66	57	51	49	48	49	51	60	64	56	46	43	42
Wed	40	52	72	73	64	55	50	49	48	51	53	63	64	56	46	43	42
Thu	40	52	72	74	66	58	51	49	49	51	53	62	67	60	47	43	43
Fri	41	47	51	51	51	50	49	50	50	53	55	62	63	55	47	42	42
Sat	42	43	47	46	46	50	53	52	52	54	55	56	58	55	49	49	43
Sun	41	41	42	44	47	49	51	52	52	53	52	52	54	52	49	50	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	50	70	66	58	53	51	51	49	50	50	55	59	51	45	43	42
Tue	40	52	74	76	66	57	51	49	48	49	51	60	64	56	46	43	42
Wed	40	52	72	73	64	55	50	49	48	51	53	63	64	56	46	43	42
Thu	40	52	72	74	66	58	51	49	49	51	53	62	67	60	47	43	43
Fri	41	47	51	51	51	50	49	50	50	53	55	62	63	55	47	42	42
Sat	42	43	47	46	46	50	53	52	52	54	55	56	58	55	49	49	43
Sun	41	41	42	44	47	49	51	52	52	53	52	52	54	52	49	50	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	50	70	66	58	53	51	51	49	50	50	55	59	51	45	43	42
Tue	40	52	74	76	66	57	51	49	48	49	51	60	64	56	46	43	42
Wed	40	52	72	73	64	55	50	49	48	51	53	63	64	56	46	43	42
Thu	40	52	72	74	66	58	51	49	49	51	53	62	67	60	47	43	43
Fri	41	47	51	51	51	50	49	50	50	53	55	62	63	55	47	42	42
Sat	42	43	47	46	46	50	53	52	52	54	55	56	58	55	49	49	43
Sun	41	41	42	44	47	49	51	52	52	53	52	52	54	52	49	50	44