Best Time to Drive from Mountain View to Palo Alto

Right now (11:31 am PDT): about 13 minutes via US-101 North and SR-85 North, usually 13 at this time.

On weekdays the 9-mile drive from Mountain View to Palo Alto (via US-101 North and SR-85 North) usually takes as little as 12 minutes and up to 24 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 13 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (13 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Palo Alto to Mountain View

Freeway, about 5 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 4 miles: 8 to 17 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from central Mountain View (Castro Street) to central Palo Alto (Middlefield Road) along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Mountain View 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	12	12	13	15	16	14	13	13	13	13	15	15	17	15	13	12	12
Tue	12	12	14	16	18	16	15	13	13	13	17	19	22	19	14	12	12
Wed	12	12	14	15	18	16	14	14	13	14	18	19	24	20	15	13	12
Thu	12	12	14	15	17	16	14	13	13	14	17	18	22	20	14	12	12
Fri	12	12	13	15	14	14	13	13	14	15	16	17	18	16	13	13	12
Sat	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12
Sun	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12

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 Mountain View to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 12 minutes then, versus up to 24 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Mountain View to Palo Alto?

The 9-mile drive usually takes 12 to 24 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 13 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mountain View to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 24 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

More drives

Palo Alto to Mountain View (return trip) · Mountain View to San Francisco · Mountain View to Oakland · Mountain View to San Jose · Mountain View to Berkeley · Mountain View to Fremont · Mountain View to Walnut Creek · Mountain View to San Mateo · Mountain View to Hayward · Mountain View to Pleasanton · Mountain View to Richmond · Mountain View to SFO

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	12	12	13	15	16	14	13	13	13	13	15	15	17	15	13	12	12
Tue	12	12	14	16	18	16	15	13	13	13	17	19	22	19	14	12	12
Wed	12	12	14	15	18	16	14	14	13	14	18	19	24	20	15	13	12
Thu	12	12	14	15	17	16	14	13	13	14	17	18	22	20	14	12	12
Fri	12	12	13	15	14	14	13	13	14	15	16	17	18	16	13	13	12
Sat	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12
Sun	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	12	12	13	15	16	14	13	13	13	13	15	15	17	15	13	12	12
Tue	12	12	14	16	18	16	15	13	13	13	17	19	22	19	14	12	12
Wed	12	12	14	15	18	16	14	14	13	14	18	19	24	20	15	13	12
Thu	12	12	14	15	17	16	14	13	13	14	17	18	22	20	14	12	12
Fri	12	12	13	15	14	14	13	13	14	15	16	17	18	16	13	13	12
Sat	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12
Sun	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	12	12	13	15	16	14	13	13	13	13	15	15	17	15	13	12	12
Tue	12	12	14	16	18	16	15	13	13	13	17	19	22	19	14	12	12
Wed	12	12	14	15	18	16	14	14	13	14	18	19	24	20	15	13	12
Thu	12	12	14	15	17	16	14	13	13	14	17	18	22	20	14	12	12
Fri	12	12	13	15	14	14	13	13	14	15	16	17	18	16	13	13	12
Sat	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12
Sun	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12