Best Time to Drive from Fairfield to Palo Alto

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 96 minutes via I-80 West and US-101 South, usually 89 at this time.

Only 58% 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 Fairfield 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	70	87	109	107	92	85	82	80	80	82	87	84	85	77	73	72	71
Tue	70	87	118	118	100	89	84	79	78	82	88	86	91	82	73	72	71
Wed	69	87	117	114	98	89	85	80	80	82	90	93	96	83	73	72	71
Thu	70	87	116	115	98	90	85	82	81	86	94	99	102	87	76	73	71
Fri	70	80	88	89	84	80	80	81	83	87	94	92	97	88	78	74	70
Sat	70	70	72	72	75	78	87	89	88	88	90	90	91	84	80	76	72
Sun	70	71	70	71	72	75	80	84	88	89	90	87	88	86	82	77	70

About this drive

On weekdays the 78-mile drive from Fairfield to Palo Alto (via I-80 West and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 69 minutes and up to 125 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 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 81 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (91 minutes).

About 74 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fairfield 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 Fairfield to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 69 minutes then, versus up to 125 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 78-mile drive usually takes 69 to 125 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 81 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fairfield to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 125 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (46 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (28 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	87	109	107	92	85	82	80	80	82	87	84	85	77	73	72	71
Tue	70	87	118	118	100	89	84	79	78	82	88	86	91	82	73	72	71
Wed	69	87	117	114	98	89	85	80	80	82	90	93	96	83	73	72	71
Thu	70	87	116	115	98	90	85	82	81	86	94	99	102	87	76	73	71
Fri	70	80	88	89	84	80	80	81	83	87	94	92	97	88	78	74	70
Sat	70	70	72	72	75	78	87	89	88	88	90	90	91	84	80	76	72
Sun	70	71	70	71	72	75	80	84	88	89	90	87	88	86	82	77	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	87	109	107	92	85	82	80	80	82	87	84	85	77	73	72	71
Tue	70	87	118	118	100	89	84	79	78	82	88	86	91	82	73	72	71
Wed	69	87	117	114	98	89	85	80	80	82	90	93	96	83	73	72	71
Thu	70	87	116	115	98	90	85	82	81	86	94	99	102	87	76	73	71
Fri	70	80	88	89	84	80	80	81	83	87	94	92	97	88	78	74	70
Sat	70	70	72	72	75	78	87	89	88	88	90	90	91	84	80	76	72
Sun	70	71	70	71	72	75	80	84	88	89	90	87	88	86	82	77	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	87	109	107	92	85	82	80	80	82	87	84	85	77	73	72	71
Tue	70	87	118	118	100	89	84	79	78	82	88	86	91	82	73	72	71
Wed	69	87	117	114	98	89	85	80	80	82	90	93	96	83	73	72	71
Thu	70	87	116	115	98	90	85	82	81	86	94	99	102	87	76	73	71
Fri	70	80	88	89	84	80	80	81	83	87	94	92	97	88	78	74	70
Sat	70	70	72	72	75	78	87	89	88	88	90	90	91	84	80	76	72
Sun	70	71	70	71	72	75	80	84	88	89	90	87	88	86	82	77	70