Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Napa

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 115 minutes via US-101 North and I-80 East, usually 87 at this time.

Only 68% 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 Napa 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	78	88	94	99	95	90	89	88	87	92	100	104	108	92	83	81	79
Tue	78	89	93	101	98	91	89	87	86	92	104	115	118	97	87	82	79
Wed	78	89	94	100	98	89	89	87	86	92	105	118	123	101	87	82	78
Thu	78	88	95	103	99	92	88	88	87	92	105	122	125	104	90	83	80
Fri	78	83	91	92	91	89	89	89	94	104	116	127	117	101	88	83	79
Sat	78	78	79	79	81	86	90	91	92	93	92	92	90	86	85	84	80
Sun	78	78	78	78	79	82	86	88	89	89	87	86	84	84	84	83	79

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Palo Alto to Napa (via US-101 North and I-80 East) usually takes as little as 78 minutes and up to 127 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 89 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (94 minutes).

About 64 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 16 miles surface streets (22 to 32 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 Napa 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 Napa?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 78 minutes then, versus up to 127 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 80-mile drive usually takes 78 to 127 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 89 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Napa?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 127 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (33 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (31 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Napa 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	78	88	94	99	95	90	89	88	87	92	100	104	108	92	83	81	79
Tue	78	89	93	101	98	91	89	87	86	92	104	115	118	97	87	82	79
Wed	78	89	94	100	98	89	89	87	86	92	105	118	123	101	87	82	78
Thu	78	88	95	103	99	92	88	88	87	92	105	122	125	104	90	83	80
Fri	78	83	91	92	91	89	89	89	94	104	116	127	117	101	88	83	79
Sat	78	78	79	79	81	86	90	91	92	93	92	92	90	86	85	84	80
Sun	78	78	78	78	79	82	86	88	89	89	87	86	84	84	84	83	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	78	88	94	99	95	90	89	88	87	92	100	104	108	92	83	81	79
Tue	78	89	93	101	98	91	89	87	86	92	104	115	118	97	87	82	79
Wed	78	89	94	100	98	89	89	87	86	92	105	118	123	101	87	82	78
Thu	78	88	95	103	99	92	88	88	87	92	105	122	125	104	90	83	80
Fri	78	83	91	92	91	89	89	89	94	104	116	127	117	101	88	83	79
Sat	78	78	79	79	81	86	90	91	92	93	92	92	90	86	85	84	80
Sun	78	78	78	78	79	82	86	88	89	89	87	86	84	84	84	83	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	78	88	94	99	95	90	89	88	87	92	100	104	108	92	83	81	79
Tue	78	89	93	101	98	91	89	87	86	92	104	115	118	97	87	82	79
Wed	78	89	94	100	98	89	89	87	86	92	105	118	123	101	87	82	78
Thu	78	88	95	103	99	92	88	88	87	92	105	122	125	104	90	83	80
Fri	78	83	91	92	91	89	89	89	94	104	116	127	117	101	88	83	79
Sat	78	78	79	79	81	86	90	91	92	93	92	92	90	86	85	84	80
Sun	78	78	78	78	79	82	86	88	89	89	87	86	84	84	84	83	79