Best Time to Drive from Modesto to Palo Alto

Right now (7:09 pm PDT): about 134 minutes via I-580 East and I-680 South, usually 135 at this time.

Only 37% 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 Modesto 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	107	108	178	173	115	109	112	110	109	114	126	139	139	142	130	102	100
Tue	113	110	185	180	153	122	111	108	110	122	141	134	132	126	121	103	100
Wed	115	111	184	178	171	123	111	108	110	119	137	133	128	140	130	114	106
Thu	115	111	184	178	170	109	108	107	111	119	134	138	142	139	135	127	133
Fri	114	107	170	169	132	126	106	109	115	139	151	141	137	123	115	108	108
Sat	100	100	100	100	101	102	102	102	103	104	115	115	104	103	102	103	99
Sun	100	100	100	100	101	102	102	102	102	102	102	103	142	166	107	101	100

About this drive

On weekdays the 87-mile drive from Modesto to Palo Alto (via I-580 East and I-680 South) usually takes as little as 100 minutes and up to 186 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 112 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Sundays (166 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 41 miles surface streets (45 to 113 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Modesto 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 Modesto to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 100 minutes then, versus up to 186 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 87-mile drive usually takes 100 to 186 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 112 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Modesto to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 186 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 East in Bay Area (19 miles) · I-680 South in Bay Area (10 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 Modesto (return trip) · Modesto to San Jose · Modesto to Hayward · Modesto to Sunnyvale · Modesto to Concord · Modesto to Santa Clara · Modesto to San Leandro · Modesto to Redwood City · Modesto to Pleasanton · Modesto to Alameda · Modesto to Milpitas · Modesto to San Ramon

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	107	108	178	173	115	109	112	110	109	114	126	139	139	142	130	102	100
Tue	113	110	185	180	153	122	111	108	110	122	141	134	132	126	121	103	100
Wed	115	111	184	178	171	123	111	108	110	119	137	133	128	140	130	114	106
Thu	115	111	184	178	170	109	108	107	111	119	134	138	142	139	135	127	133
Fri	114	107	170	169	132	126	106	109	115	139	151	141	137	123	115	108	108
Sat	100	100	100	100	101	102	102	102	103	104	115	115	104	103	102	103	99
Sun	100	100	100	100	101	102	102	102	102	102	102	103	142	166	107	101	100

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	107	108	178	173	115	109	112	110	109	114	126	139	139	142	130	102	100
Tue	113	110	185	180	153	122	111	108	110	122	141	134	132	126	121	103	100
Wed	115	111	184	178	171	123	111	108	110	119	137	133	128	140	130	114	106
Thu	115	111	184	178	170	109	108	107	111	119	134	138	142	139	135	127	133
Fri	114	107	170	169	132	126	106	109	115	139	151	141	137	123	115	108	108
Sat	100	100	100	100	101	102	102	102	103	104	115	115	104	103	102	103	99
Sun	100	100	100	100	101	102	102	102	102	102	102	103	142	166	107	101	100

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	107	108	178	173	115	109	112	110	109	114	126	139	139	142	130	102	100
Tue	113	110	185	180	153	122	111	108	110	122	141	134	132	126	121	103	100
Wed	115	111	184	178	171	123	111	108	110	119	137	133	128	140	130	114	106
Thu	115	111	184	178	170	109	108	107	111	119	134	138	142	139	135	127	133
Fri	114	107	170	169	132	126	106	109	115	139	151	141	137	123	115	108	108
Sat	100	100	100	100	101	102	102	102	103	104	115	115	104	103	102	103	99
Sun	100	100	100	100	101	102	102	102	102	102	102	103	142	166	107	101	100