Best Time to Drive from OAK to Palo Alto

Right now (3:06 pm PST): about 40 minutes via I-880 South and SR-84 South, usually 42 at this time.

Only 40% 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 OAK 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	32	37	49	56	50	42	39	39	38	39	39	40	42	38	34	33	32
Tue	31	38	54	65	59	44	40	39	38	39	39	42	45	41	35	33	33
Wed	31	37	55	63	56	44	40	38	38	40	41	47	45	41	35	33	33
Thu	31	38	54	63	59	45	40	38	37	40	41	45	47	44	37	33	33
Fri	32	36	41	43	41	39	38	38	39	40	42	46	45	41	37	34	32
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	37	38	39	40	41	41	40	36	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	37	37	36	37	37	35	34	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from OAK to Palo Alto (via I-880 South and SR-84 South) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 23 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (12 to 26 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Oakland International Airport (OAK) (John Glenn Drive) to central Palo Alto (Middlefield Road) 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 OAK to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 31 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from OAK to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (15 miles) · SR-84 South in Bay Area (6 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	37	49	56	50	42	39	39	38	39	39	40	42	38	34	33	32
Tue	31	38	54	65	59	44	40	39	38	39	39	42	45	41	35	33	33
Wed	31	37	55	63	56	44	40	38	38	40	41	47	45	41	35	33	33
Thu	31	38	54	63	59	45	40	38	37	40	41	45	47	44	37	33	33
Fri	32	36	41	43	41	39	38	38	39	40	42	46	45	41	37	34	32
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	37	38	39	40	41	41	40	36	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	37	37	36	37	37	35	34	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	37	49	56	50	42	39	39	38	39	39	40	42	38	34	33	32
Tue	31	38	54	65	59	44	40	39	38	39	39	42	45	41	35	33	33
Wed	31	37	55	63	56	44	40	38	38	40	41	47	45	41	35	33	33
Thu	31	38	54	63	59	45	40	38	37	40	41	45	47	44	37	33	33
Fri	32	36	41	43	41	39	38	38	39	40	42	46	45	41	37	34	32
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	37	38	39	40	41	41	40	36	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	37	37	36	37	37	35	34	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	37	49	56	50	42	39	39	38	39	39	40	42	38	34	33	32
Tue	31	38	54	65	59	44	40	39	38	39	39	42	45	41	35	33	33
Wed	31	37	55	63	56	44	40	38	38	40	41	47	45	41	35	33	33
Thu	31	38	54	63	59	45	40	38	37	40	41	45	47	44	37	33	33
Fri	32	36	41	43	41	39	38	38	39	40	42	46	45	41	37	34	32
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	37	38	39	40	41	41	40	36	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	37	37	36	37	37	35	34	33