Best Time to Drive from Concord to Palo Alto

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 58 minutes via I-680 South, usually 59 at this time.

Only 37% 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 Concord 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	54	61	79	85	76	63	60	60	60	61	62	63	65	60	56	55	54
Tue	53	61	85	98	89	71	62	59	59	61	63	68	69	64	57	55	55
Wed	54	61	82	91	83	68	62	60	60	61	64	69	70	65	57	55	55
Thu	54	60	83	92	89	71	61	60	60	62	64	70	72	66	58	55	55
Fri	54	59	64	66	63	61	60	59	60	62	63	65	66	62	58	56	55
Sat	54	55	55	55	55	56	57	57	58	58	59	60	60	61	58	56	54
Sun	54	54	54	54	55	56	57	57	57	57	57	58	58	58	57	57	54

About this drive

On weekdays the 60-mile drive from Concord to Palo Alto (via I-680 South) usually takes as little as 53 minutes and up to 98 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 60 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 55 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Concord to central Palo Alto 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 Concord to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 53 minutes then, versus up to 98 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 60-mile drive usually takes 53 to 98 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 60 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Concord to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 98 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 South in Bay Area (38 miles) · SR-237 West in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (5 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palo Alto to Concord (return trip) · Concord to San Jose · Concord to San Francisco · Concord to Sacramento · Concord to Oakland · Concord to Stockton · Concord to Fremont · Concord to Santa Rosa · Concord to Elk Grove · Concord to Modesto · Concord to Hayward · Concord to Sunnyvale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	61	79	85	76	63	60	60	60	61	62	63	65	60	56	55	54
Tue	53	61	85	98	89	71	62	59	59	61	63	68	69	64	57	55	55
Wed	54	61	82	91	83	68	62	60	60	61	64	69	70	65	57	55	55
Thu	54	60	83	92	89	71	61	60	60	62	64	70	72	66	58	55	55
Fri	54	59	64	66	63	61	60	59	60	62	63	65	66	62	58	56	55
Sat	54	55	55	55	55	56	57	57	58	58	59	60	60	61	58	56	54
Sun	54	54	54	54	55	56	57	57	57	57	57	58	58	58	57	57	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	61	79	85	76	63	60	60	60	61	62	63	65	60	56	55	54
Tue	53	61	85	98	89	71	62	59	59	61	63	68	69	64	57	55	55
Wed	54	61	82	91	83	68	62	60	60	61	64	69	70	65	57	55	55
Thu	54	60	83	92	89	71	61	60	60	62	64	70	72	66	58	55	55
Fri	54	59	64	66	63	61	60	59	60	62	63	65	66	62	58	56	55
Sat	54	55	55	55	55	56	57	57	58	58	59	60	60	61	58	56	54
Sun	54	54	54	54	55	56	57	57	57	57	57	58	58	58	57	57	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	61	79	85	76	63	60	60	60	61	62	63	65	60	56	55	54
Tue	53	61	85	98	89	71	62	59	59	61	63	68	69	64	57	55	55
Wed	54	61	82	91	83	68	62	60	60	61	64	69	70	65	57	55	55
Thu	54	60	83	92	89	71	61	60	60	62	64	70	72	66	58	55	55
Fri	54	59	64	66	63	61	60	59	60	62	63	65	66	62	58	56	55
Sat	54	55	55	55	55	56	57	57	58	58	59	60	60	61	58	56	54
Sun	54	54	54	54	55	56	57	57	57	57	57	58	58	58	57	57	54