Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Brentwood

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 78 minutes via I-680 North and US-101 South.

Only 45% 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 Brentwood 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	77	83	85	87	92	87	85	86	84	87	123	134	138	95	83	79	78
Tue	77	81	83	88	96	92	88	84	83	89	132	153	154	112	92	81	77
Wed	77	81	84	88	97	90	86	84	83	87	136	154	163	132	93	81	77
Thu	77	82	83	88	92	88	83	83	82	86	125	140	149	116	95	83	77
Fri	78	84	85	87	86	86	85	85	90	115	146	150	136	99	86	84	78
Sat	77	78	78	79	78	79	80	81	80	80	81	82	82	82	81	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	79	80	80	81	80	81	81	81	82	81	81	77

About this drive

On weekdays the 64-mile drive from Palo Alto to Brentwood (via I-680 North and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 77 minutes and up to 166 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 86 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (83 minutes).

About 32 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 32 miles surface streets (48 to 108 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 Brentwood 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 Brentwood?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 77 minutes then, versus up to 166 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 64-mile drive usually takes 77 to 166 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 86 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Brentwood?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 166 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

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

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Brentwood 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	77	83	85	87	92	87	85	86	84	87	123	134	138	95	83	79	78
Tue	77	81	83	88	96	92	88	84	83	89	132	153	154	112	92	81	77
Wed	77	81	84	88	97	90	86	84	83	87	136	154	163	132	93	81	77
Thu	77	82	83	88	92	88	83	83	82	86	125	140	149	116	95	83	77
Fri	78	84	85	87	86	86	85	85	90	115	146	150	136	99	86	84	78
Sat	77	78	78	79	78	79	80	81	80	80	81	82	82	82	81	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	79	80	80	81	80	81	81	81	82	81	81	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	83	85	87	92	87	85	86	84	87	123	134	138	95	83	79	78
Tue	77	81	83	88	96	92	88	84	83	89	132	153	154	112	92	81	77
Wed	77	81	84	88	97	90	86	84	83	87	136	154	163	132	93	81	77
Thu	77	82	83	88	92	88	83	83	82	86	125	140	149	116	95	83	77
Fri	78	84	85	87	86	86	85	85	90	115	146	150	136	99	86	84	78
Sat	77	78	78	79	78	79	80	81	80	80	81	82	82	82	81	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	79	80	80	81	80	81	81	81	82	81	81	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	83	85	87	92	87	85	86	84	87	123	134	138	95	83	79	78
Tue	77	81	83	88	96	92	88	84	83	89	132	153	154	112	92	81	77
Wed	77	81	84	88	97	90	86	84	83	87	136	154	163	132	93	81	77
Thu	77	82	83	88	92	88	83	83	82	86	125	140	149	116	95	83	77
Fri	78	84	85	87	86	86	85	85	90	115	146	150	136	99	86	84	78
Sat	77	78	78	79	78	79	80	81	80	80	81	82	82	82	81	80	78
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	79	80	80	81	80	81	81	81	82	81	81	77