Best Time to Drive from Oakland to Palo Alto

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 41 minutes via I-880 South and SR-84 South, usually 43 at this time.

Only 58% 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 Oakland 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	35	41	53	57	50	45	43	43	41	42	42	47	50	44	37	36	36
Tue	34	42	57	66	58	47	44	42	41	41	44	51	56	50	39	35	36
Wed	34	42	58	62	55	47	43	41	41	42	45	55	56	49	39	36	36
Thu	34	42	59	63	58	48	43	41	41	43	44	55	58	52	40	36	36
Fri	35	39	44	45	43	42	41	41	43	45	47	55	55	48	40	36	35
Sat	36	36	36	36	36	37	39	40	41	42	43	45	46	45	39	37	35
Sun	35	35	36	35	36	37	38	38	39	40	40	40	42	40	37	38	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from Oakland to Palo Alto (via I-880 South and SR-84 South) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 42 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (46 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (9 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Oakland (Broadway) 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 Oakland to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 35-mile drive usually takes 34 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 42 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Oakland to Palo Alto?

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

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (21 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 Oakland (return trip) · Oakland to San Jose · Oakland to Fremont · Oakland to Walnut Creek · Oakland to San Mateo · Oakland to Hayward · Oakland to Mountain View · Oakland to Pleasanton · Oakland to Santa Clara · Oakland to Richmond · Oakland to Sacramento · Oakland 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	35	41	53	57	50	45	43	43	41	42	42	47	50	44	37	36	36
Tue	34	42	57	66	58	47	44	42	41	41	44	51	56	50	39	35	36
Wed	34	42	58	62	55	47	43	41	41	42	45	55	56	49	39	36	36
Thu	34	42	59	63	58	48	43	41	41	43	44	55	58	52	40	36	36
Fri	35	39	44	45	43	42	41	41	43	45	47	55	55	48	40	36	35
Sat	36	36	36	36	36	37	39	40	41	42	43	45	46	45	39	37	35
Sun	35	35	36	35	36	37	38	38	39	40	40	40	42	40	37	38	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	41	53	57	50	45	43	43	41	42	42	47	50	44	37	36	36
Tue	34	42	57	66	58	47	44	42	41	41	44	51	56	50	39	35	36
Wed	34	42	58	62	55	47	43	41	41	42	45	55	56	49	39	36	36
Thu	34	42	59	63	58	48	43	41	41	43	44	55	58	52	40	36	36
Fri	35	39	44	45	43	42	41	41	43	45	47	55	55	48	40	36	35
Sat	36	36	36	36	36	37	39	40	41	42	43	45	46	45	39	37	35
Sun	35	35	36	35	36	37	38	38	39	40	40	40	42	40	37	38	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	41	53	57	50	45	43	43	41	42	42	47	50	44	37	36	36
Tue	34	42	57	66	58	47	44	42	41	41	44	51	56	50	39	35	36
Wed	34	42	58	62	55	47	43	41	41	42	45	55	56	49	39	36	36
Thu	34	42	59	63	58	48	43	41	41	43	44	55	58	52	40	36	36
Fri	35	39	44	45	43	42	41	41	43	45	47	55	55	48	40	36	35
Sat	36	36	36	36	36	37	39	40	41	42	43	45	46	45	39	37	35
Sun	35	35	36	35	36	37	38	38	39	40	40	40	42	40	37	38	36