Best Time to Drive from Modesto to Palo Alto

Right now (7:36 pm PST): about 154 minutes via I-580 East and I-680 South, usually 125 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	115	108	179	173	149	113	111	109	110	118	123	131	131	128	112	101	101
Tue	114	110	185	179	155	121	110	107	110	119	134	133	128	122	120	103	100
Wed	114	112	184	178	172	121	112	108	110	118	134	135	128	130	127	114	103
Thu	118	110	185	179	171	112	108	108	112	121	138	138	138	130	123	111	108
Fri	116	106	170	145	117	117	108	109	121	140	149	139	120	113	103	103	101
Sat	100	100	100	100	101	101	102	102	102	104	107	112	110	113	105	103	99
Sun	100	100	100	100	101	101	102	102	102	102	102	103	128	150	111	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 185 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 112 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Sundays (150 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 112 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 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 100 minutes then, versus up to 185 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 185 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 112 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Modesto to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 185 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	115	108	179	173	149	113	111	109	110	118	123	131	131	128	112	101	101
Tue	114	110	185	179	155	121	110	107	110	119	134	133	128	122	120	103	100
Wed	114	112	184	178	172	121	112	108	110	118	134	135	128	130	127	114	103
Thu	118	110	185	179	171	112	108	108	112	121	138	138	138	130	123	111	108
Fri	116	106	170	145	117	117	108	109	121	140	149	139	120	113	103	103	101
Sat	100	100	100	100	101	101	102	102	102	104	107	112	110	113	105	103	99
Sun	100	100	100	100	101	101	102	102	102	102	102	103	128	150	111	101	100

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	115	108	179	173	149	113	111	109	110	118	123	131	131	128	112	101	101
Tue	114	110	185	179	155	121	110	107	110	119	134	133	128	122	120	103	100
Wed	114	112	184	178	172	121	112	108	110	118	134	135	128	130	127	114	103
Thu	118	110	185	179	171	112	108	108	112	121	138	138	138	130	123	111	108
Fri	116	106	170	145	117	117	108	109	121	140	149	139	120	113	103	103	101
Sat	100	100	100	100	101	101	102	102	102	104	107	112	110	113	105	103	99
Sun	100	100	100	100	101	101	102	102	102	102	102	103	128	150	111	101	100

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	115	108	179	173	149	113	111	109	110	118	123	131	131	128	112	101	101
Tue	114	110	185	179	155	121	110	107	110	119	134	133	128	122	120	103	100
Wed	114	112	184	178	172	121	112	108	110	118	134	135	128	130	127	114	103
Thu	118	110	185	179	171	112	108	108	112	121	138	138	138	130	123	111	108
Fri	116	106	170	145	117	117	108	109	121	140	149	139	120	113	103	103	101
Sat	100	100	100	100	101	101	102	102	102	104	107	112	110	113	105	103	99
Sun	100	100	100	100	101	101	102	102	102	102	102	103	128	150	111	101	100