Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Concord

Right now (5:49 pm PDT): about 111 minutes via I-680 North, usually 84 at this time.

Only 77% 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 Concord 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	55	57	61	64	65	62	61	60	61	66	76	79	78	68	60	57	55
Tue	55	57	62	67	68	66	62	61	61	68	88	101	102	84	68	59	55
Wed	55	57	61	65	66	64	61	60	61	70	89	101	104	82	68	60	54
Thu	55	57	62	66	65	64	60	59	61	71	89	105	104	83	70	61	55
Fri	54	56	59	60	61	60	60	61	65	76	87	90	81	71	62	58	55
Sat	54	54	55	55	56	56	57	58	59	60	61	62	61	60	59	58	56
Sun	55	55	55	55	55	56	57	58	58	58	58	58	58	59	58	57	55

About this drive

On weekdays the 60-mile drive from Palo Alto to Concord (via I-680 North) usually takes as little as 54 minutes and up to 110 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (62 minutes).

About 56 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 9 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 Concord 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 Concord?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 54 minutes then, versus up to 110 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 60-mile drive usually takes 54 to 110 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Concord?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 110 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 North in Bay Area (37 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)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Concord 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	55	57	61	64	65	62	61	60	61	66	76	79	78	68	60	57	55
Tue	55	57	62	67	68	66	62	61	61	68	88	101	102	84	68	59	55
Wed	55	57	61	65	66	64	61	60	61	70	89	101	104	82	68	60	54
Thu	55	57	62	66	65	64	60	59	61	71	89	105	104	83	70	61	55
Fri	54	56	59	60	61	60	60	61	65	76	87	90	81	71	62	58	55
Sat	54	54	55	55	56	56	57	58	59	60	61	62	61	60	59	58	56
Sun	55	55	55	55	55	56	57	58	58	58	58	58	58	59	58	57	55

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	57	61	64	65	62	61	60	61	66	76	79	78	68	60	57	55
Tue	55	57	62	67	68	66	62	61	61	68	88	101	102	84	68	59	55
Wed	55	57	61	65	66	64	61	60	61	70	89	101	104	82	68	60	54
Thu	55	57	62	66	65	64	60	59	61	71	89	105	104	83	70	61	55
Fri	54	56	59	60	61	60	60	61	65	76	87	90	81	71	62	58	55
Sat	54	54	55	55	56	56	57	58	59	60	61	62	61	60	59	58	56
Sun	55	55	55	55	55	56	57	58	58	58	58	58	58	59	58	57	55

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	57	61	64	65	62	61	60	61	66	76	79	78	68	60	57	55
Tue	55	57	62	67	68	66	62	61	61	68	88	101	102	84	68	59	55
Wed	55	57	61	65	66	64	61	60	61	70	89	101	104	82	68	60	54
Thu	55	57	62	66	65	64	60	59	61	71	89	105	104	83	70	61	55
Fri	54	56	59	60	61	60	60	61	65	76	87	90	81	71	62	58	55
Sat	54	54	55	55	56	56	57	58	59	60	61	62	61	60	59	58	56
Sun	55	55	55	55	55	56	57	58	58	58	58	58	58	59	58	57	55