Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Antioch

Right now (7:49 pm PDT): about 93 minutes via I-680 North, usually 85 at this time.

Only 50% 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 Palo Alto to Antioch 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	81	84	87	95	110	96	89	89	89	95	102	114	116	101	89	83	81
Tue	81	84	87	100	123	115	100	90	90	94	108	140	145	115	99	85	81
Wed	81	83	87	97	116	107	95	89	88	96	116	138	142	115	98	85	80
Thu	81	83	87	96	113	107	91	88	89	96	109	136	140	117	107	88	84
Fri	81	84	86	91	95	89	91	89	92	98	106	122	121	105	92	86	83
Sat	80	80	81	81	81	83	86	87	87	91	88	96	96	98	93	90	85
Sun	81	80	80	80	81	82	84	86	86	85	86	89	87	87	86	84	80

About this drive

On weekdays the 72-mile drive from Palo Alto to Antioch (via I-680 North) usually takes as little as 80 minutes and up to 154 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 91 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (98 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 29 miles surface streets (42 to 88 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palo Alto to central Antioch 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 Palo Alto to Antioch?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 80 minutes then, versus up to 154 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 72-mile drive usually takes 80 to 154 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 91 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Antioch?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 154 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 North in Bay Area (10 miles) · SR-4 West in Bay Area (8 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (8 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (6 miles) · SR-237 East in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	84	87	95	110	96	89	89	89	95	102	114	116	101	89	83	81
Tue	81	84	87	100	123	115	100	90	90	94	108	140	145	115	99	85	81
Wed	81	83	87	97	116	107	95	89	88	96	116	138	142	115	98	85	80
Thu	81	83	87	96	113	107	91	88	89	96	109	136	140	117	107	88	84
Fri	81	84	86	91	95	89	91	89	92	98	106	122	121	105	92	86	83
Sat	80	80	81	81	81	83	86	87	87	91	88	96	96	98	93	90	85
Sun	81	80	80	80	81	82	84	86	86	85	86	89	87	87	86	84	80

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	84	87	95	110	96	89	89	89	95	102	114	116	101	89	83	81
Tue	81	84	87	100	123	115	100	90	90	94	108	140	145	115	99	85	81
Wed	81	83	87	97	116	107	95	89	88	96	116	138	142	115	98	85	80
Thu	81	83	87	96	113	107	91	88	89	96	109	136	140	117	107	88	84
Fri	81	84	86	91	95	89	91	89	92	98	106	122	121	105	92	86	83
Sat	80	80	81	81	81	83	86	87	87	91	88	96	96	98	93	90	85
Sun	81	80	80	80	81	82	84	86	86	85	86	89	87	87	86	84	80

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	84	87	95	110	96	89	89	89	95	102	114	116	101	89	83	81
Tue	81	84	87	100	123	115	100	90	90	94	108	140	145	115	99	85	81
Wed	81	83	87	97	116	107	95	89	88	96	116	138	142	115	98	85	80
Thu	81	83	87	96	113	107	91	88	89	96	109	136	140	117	107	88	84
Fri	81	84	86	91	95	89	91	89	92	98	106	122	121	105	92	86	83
Sat	80	80	81	81	81	83	86	87	87	91	88	96	96	98	93	90	85
Sun	81	80	80	80	81	82	84	86	86	85	86	89	87	87	86	84	80