Best Time to Drive from Menlo Park to Oakland

Right now (7:09 pm PDT): about 54 minutes via US-101 North, usually 46 at this time.

Only 75% 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 Menlo Park to Oakland 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	40	42	48	57	55	46	45	44	43	45	46	47	51	46	42	41	40
Tue	39	42	47	62	59	49	45	43	43	44	45	50	56	51	45	42	41
Wed	39	42	47	61	63	47	44	43	43	44	46	50	56	52	45	42	40
Thu	39	42	48	66	64	47	44	44	43	44	47	53	61	56	46	42	41
Fri	39	41	43	50	47	45	46	44	44	45	47	49	52	50	45	42	39
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	45	49	48	46	46	45	45	45	44	43	43	40
Sun	40	40	40	39	40	41	43	45	44	44	43	43	43	43	43	42	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Menlo Park to Oakland (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 67 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 44 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 32 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (11 to 22 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Menlo Park to downtown Oakland 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 Menlo Park to Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 67 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Menlo Park to Oakland?

The 40-mile drive usually takes 39 to 67 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 44 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Menlo Park to Oakland?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 67 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (29 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Oakland to Menlo Park (return trip) · Menlo Park to San Jose · Menlo Park to San Francisco

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	42	48	57	55	46	45	44	43	45	46	47	51	46	42	41	40
Tue	39	42	47	62	59	49	45	43	43	44	45	50	56	51	45	42	41
Wed	39	42	47	61	63	47	44	43	43	44	46	50	56	52	45	42	40
Thu	39	42	48	66	64	47	44	44	43	44	47	53	61	56	46	42	41
Fri	39	41	43	50	47	45	46	44	44	45	47	49	52	50	45	42	39
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	45	49	48	46	46	45	45	45	44	43	43	40
Sun	40	40	40	39	40	41	43	45	44	44	43	43	43	43	43	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	42	48	57	55	46	45	44	43	45	46	47	51	46	42	41	40
Tue	39	42	47	62	59	49	45	43	43	44	45	50	56	51	45	42	41
Wed	39	42	47	61	63	47	44	43	43	44	46	50	56	52	45	42	40
Thu	39	42	48	66	64	47	44	44	43	44	47	53	61	56	46	42	41
Fri	39	41	43	50	47	45	46	44	44	45	47	49	52	50	45	42	39
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	45	49	48	46	46	45	45	45	44	43	43	40
Sun	40	40	40	39	40	41	43	45	44	44	43	43	43	43	43	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	42	48	57	55	46	45	44	43	45	46	47	51	46	42	41	40
Tue	39	42	47	62	59	49	45	43	43	44	45	50	56	51	45	42	41
Wed	39	42	47	61	63	47	44	43	43	44	46	50	56	52	45	42	40
Thu	39	42	48	66	64	47	44	44	43	44	47	53	61	56	46	42	41
Fri	39	41	43	50	47	45	46	44	44	45	47	49	52	50	45	42	39
Sat	40	40	40	40	40	45	49	48	46	46	45	45	45	44	43	43	40
Sun	40	40	40	39	40	41	43	45	44	44	43	43	43	43	43	42	40