Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to OAK

Right now (1:18 pm PDT): about 36 minutes via I-880 North and SR-84 North, usually 39 at this time.

Only 44% 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 OAK 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	33	34	37	51	47	40	39	39	39	42	48	45	46	41	37	34	33
Tue	33	34	37	58	51	44	40	39	39	42	45	50	55	49	43	37	33
Wed	33	34	37	54	46	41	39	39	39	43	47	52	55	47	42	36	33
Thu	33	34	37	58	50	41	39	38	39	43	50	55	57	49	44	38	34
Fri	33	34	36	44	41	39	39	40	41	43	49	52	51	45	41	36	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	38	39	39	40	40	41	41	39	37	36	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	36	35	37	36	35	37	36	35	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Palo Alto to OAK (via I-880 North and SR-84 North) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 58 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (42 minutes).

About 22 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (14 to 29 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palo Alto (Middlefield Road) to Oakland International Airport (OAK) (John Glenn Drive) 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 OAK?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 58 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 29-mile drive usually takes 33 to 58 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to OAK?

Leaving around 8 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 58 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (14 miles) · SR-84 North in Bay Area (5 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

OAK 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	33	34	37	51	47	40	39	39	39	42	48	45	46	41	37	34	33
Tue	33	34	37	58	51	44	40	39	39	42	45	50	55	49	43	37	33
Wed	33	34	37	54	46	41	39	39	39	43	47	52	55	47	42	36	33
Thu	33	34	37	58	50	41	39	38	39	43	50	55	57	49	44	38	34
Fri	33	34	36	44	41	39	39	40	41	43	49	52	51	45	41	36	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	38	39	39	40	40	41	41	39	37	36	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	36	35	37	36	35	37	36	35	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	37	51	47	40	39	39	39	42	48	45	46	41	37	34	33
Tue	33	34	37	58	51	44	40	39	39	42	45	50	55	49	43	37	33
Wed	33	34	37	54	46	41	39	39	39	43	47	52	55	47	42	36	33
Thu	33	34	37	58	50	41	39	38	39	43	50	55	57	49	44	38	34
Fri	33	34	36	44	41	39	39	40	41	43	49	52	51	45	41	36	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	38	39	39	40	40	41	41	39	37	36	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	36	35	37	36	35	37	36	35	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	37	51	47	40	39	39	39	42	48	45	46	41	37	34	33
Tue	33	34	37	58	51	44	40	39	39	42	45	50	55	49	43	37	33
Wed	33	34	37	54	46	41	39	39	39	43	47	52	55	47	42	36	33
Thu	33	34	37	58	50	41	39	38	39	43	50	55	57	49	44	38	34
Fri	33	34	36	44	41	39	39	40	41	43	49	52	51	45	41	36	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	38	39	39	40	40	41	41	39	37	36	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	36	35	37	36	35	37	36	35	33