Best Time to Drive from Livermore to Palo Alto

Right now (7:20 pm PDT): about 42 minutes via I-680 South and SR-237 West, usually 42 at this time.

Only 56% 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 Livermore 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	39	50	53	57	60	53	45	44	44	44	45	46	47	43	41	40	40
Tue	39	47	54	64	68	62	56	43	43	44	45	49	50	45	43	40	40
Wed	39	47	57	62	67	60	48	43	43	44	46	51	52	46	42	40	40
Thu	39	46	57	62	65	62	48	44	43	45	46	50	53	47	43	40	40
Fri	39	42	48	47	47	45	43	44	43	44	45	48	49	47	44	40	40
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	41	41	42	43	44	46	48	47	53	48	41	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	42	42	42	43	44	50	44	42	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Livermore to Palo Alto (via I-680 South and SR-237 West) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 68 minutes, when leaving around 9 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 44 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (53 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (16 to 27 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Livermore 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 Livermore to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 68 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 38-mile drive usually takes 39 to 68 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 44 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Livermore to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 9 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 68 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 South in Bay Area (11 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 Livermore (return trip) · Livermore to San Jose · Livermore to San Francisco · Livermore to Sacramento · Livermore to Oakland · Livermore to Stockton · Livermore to Modesto · Livermore to Elk Grove · Livermore to Hayward · Livermore to Sunnyvale · Livermore to Salinas · Livermore 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	39	50	53	57	60	53	45	44	44	44	45	46	47	43	41	40	40
Tue	39	47	54	64	68	62	56	43	43	44	45	49	50	45	43	40	40
Wed	39	47	57	62	67	60	48	43	43	44	46	51	52	46	42	40	40
Thu	39	46	57	62	65	62	48	44	43	45	46	50	53	47	43	40	40
Fri	39	42	48	47	47	45	43	44	43	44	45	48	49	47	44	40	40
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	41	41	42	43	44	46	48	47	53	48	41	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	42	42	42	43	44	50	44	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	50	53	57	60	53	45	44	44	44	45	46	47	43	41	40	40
Tue	39	47	54	64	68	62	56	43	43	44	45	49	50	45	43	40	40
Wed	39	47	57	62	67	60	48	43	43	44	46	51	52	46	42	40	40
Thu	39	46	57	62	65	62	48	44	43	45	46	50	53	47	43	40	40
Fri	39	42	48	47	47	45	43	44	43	44	45	48	49	47	44	40	40
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	41	41	42	43	44	46	48	47	53	48	41	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	42	42	42	43	44	50	44	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	50	53	57	60	53	45	44	44	44	45	46	47	43	41	40	40
Tue	39	47	54	64	68	62	56	43	43	44	45	49	50	45	43	40	40
Wed	39	47	57	62	67	60	48	43	43	44	46	51	52	46	42	40	40
Thu	39	46	57	62	65	62	48	44	43	45	46	50	53	47	43	40	40
Fri	39	42	48	47	47	45	43	44	43	44	45	48	49	47	44	40	40
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	41	41	42	43	44	46	48	47	53	48	41	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	42	42	42	43	44	50	44	42	40