Best Time to Drive from Fairfield to Palo Alto

Right now (7:49 pm PDT): about 73 minutes via I-80 West and US-101 South, usually 72 at this time.

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	88	110	108	92	86	83	82	81	83	88	85	84	77	73	72	71
Tue	70	87	121	121	100	89	84	79	78	82	89	88	92	81	73	72	71
Wed	69	87	116	114	98	89	85	80	80	82	88	94	96	82	73	72	71
Thu	70	87	115	116	100	90	86	82	82	88	96	100	104	86	75	72	70
Fri	70	80	89	89	85	81	80	81	83	87	93	91	93	85	77	73	70
Sat	71	71	72	72	74	79	90	92	91	90	91	91	93	86	80	77	71
Sun	70	71	70	71	72	75	81	85	90	90	91	89	89	87	84	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 128 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 82 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (93 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 128 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 128 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 82 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fairfield to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 128 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	88	110	108	92	86	83	82	81	83	88	85	84	77	73	72	71
Tue	70	87	121	121	100	89	84	79	78	82	89	88	92	81	73	72	71
Wed	69	87	116	114	98	89	85	80	80	82	88	94	96	82	73	72	71
Thu	70	87	115	116	100	90	86	82	82	88	96	100	104	86	75	72	70
Fri	70	80	89	89	85	81	80	81	83	87	93	91	93	85	77	73	70
Sat	71	71	72	72	74	79	90	92	91	90	91	91	93	86	80	77	71
Sun	70	71	70	71	72	75	81	85	90	90	91	89	89	87	84	77	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	88	110	108	92	86	83	82	81	83	88	85	84	77	73	72	71
Tue	70	87	121	121	100	89	84	79	78	82	89	88	92	81	73	72	71
Wed	69	87	116	114	98	89	85	80	80	82	88	94	96	82	73	72	71
Thu	70	87	115	116	100	90	86	82	82	88	96	100	104	86	75	72	70
Fri	70	80	89	89	85	81	80	81	83	87	93	91	93	85	77	73	70
Sat	71	71	72	72	74	79	90	92	91	90	91	91	93	86	80	77	71
Sun	70	71	70	71	72	75	81	85	90	90	91	89	89	87	84	77	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	88	110	108	92	86	83	82	81	83	88	85	84	77	73	72	71
Tue	70	87	121	121	100	89	84	79	78	82	89	88	92	81	73	72	71
Wed	69	87	116	114	98	89	85	80	80	82	88	94	96	82	73	72	71
Thu	70	87	115	116	100	90	86	82	82	88	96	100	104	86	75	72	70
Fri	70	80	89	89	85	81	80	81	83	87	93	91	93	85	77	73	70
Sat	71	71	72	72	74	79	90	92	91	90	91	91	93	86	80	77	71
Sun	70	71	70	71	72	75	81	85	90	90	91	89	89	87	84	77	70