Best Time to Drive from Los Altos to Stockton

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 110 minutes via I-580 West and I-680 North, usually 117 at this time.

Only 41% 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 Los Altos to Stockton 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	88	159	166	136	105	98	96	95	96	96	114	115	125	117	93	90	88
Tue	88	157	160	141	111	100	96	95	95	104	112	124	138	123	101	92	88
Wed	89	159	166	155	119	102	95	95	95	102	111	125	143	127	107	96	88
Thu	88	158	163	131	102	96	94	93	94	101	115	122	136	124	108	102	88
Fri	89	163	135	109	104	95	94	96	102	115	111	111	108	100	95	92	88
Sat	88	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	92	93	90	93	91	91	90	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	90	93	126	152	119	92	91	88

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Los Altos to Stockton (via I-580 West and I-680 North) usually takes as little as 88 minutes and up to 170 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 96 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (152 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 33 miles surface streets (29 to 70 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Los Altos to central Stockton 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 Los Altos to Stockton?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 88 minutes then, versus up to 170 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Los Altos to Stockton?

The 80-mile drive usually takes 88 to 170 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 96 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Altos to Stockton?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 170 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (19 miles) · I-680 North in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (6 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (6 miles) · SR-237 East in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Stockton to Los Altos (return trip)

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	159	166	136	105	98	96	95	96	96	114	115	125	117	93	90	88
Tue	88	157	160	141	111	100	96	95	95	104	112	124	138	123	101	92	88
Wed	89	159	166	155	119	102	95	95	95	102	111	125	143	127	107	96	88
Thu	88	158	163	131	102	96	94	93	94	101	115	122	136	124	108	102	88
Fri	89	163	135	109	104	95	94	96	102	115	111	111	108	100	95	92	88
Sat	88	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	92	93	90	93	91	91	90	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	90	93	126	152	119	92	91	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	159	166	136	105	98	96	95	96	96	114	115	125	117	93	90	88
Tue	88	157	160	141	111	100	96	95	95	104	112	124	138	123	101	92	88
Wed	89	159	166	155	119	102	95	95	95	102	111	125	143	127	107	96	88
Thu	88	158	163	131	102	96	94	93	94	101	115	122	136	124	108	102	88
Fri	89	163	135	109	104	95	94	96	102	115	111	111	108	100	95	92	88
Sat	88	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	92	93	90	93	91	91	90	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	90	93	126	152	119	92	91	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	159	166	136	105	98	96	95	96	96	114	115	125	117	93	90	88
Tue	88	157	160	141	111	100	96	95	95	104	112	124	138	123	101	92	88
Wed	89	159	166	155	119	102	95	95	95	102	111	125	143	127	107	96	88
Thu	88	158	163	131	102	96	94	93	94	101	115	122	136	124	108	102	88
Fri	89	163	135	109	104	95	94	96	102	115	111	111	108	100	95	92	88
Sat	88	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	92	93	90	93	91	91	90	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	90	93	126	152	119	92	91	88