Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Oakland

Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 45 minutes via I-880 North, usually 50 at this time.

Only 46% 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 Oakland 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	35	36	39	50	47	41	40	40	40	43	48	47	46	43	39	36	35
Tue	34	36	39	56	52	45	41	39	41	43	47	52	54	50	46	39	35
Wed	34	36	39	54	48	43	41	40	41	44	49	53	56	49	44	38	35
Thu	34	36	40	57	50	43	40	40	41	43	51	55	56	51	46	40	35
Fri	34	36	39	45	42	40	40	40	42	45	50	53	51	47	42	38	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	37	39	41	40	42	41	43	43	41	39	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	37	37	39	38	37	38	38	37	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Palo Alto to Oakland (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 57 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 41 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (44 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (10 to 18 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 downtown Oakland (Broadway) 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 Oakland?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 57 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 34-mile drive usually takes 34 to 57 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 41 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Oakland?

Leaving around 8 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 57 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (21 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

Oakland to Palo Alto (return trip) · Palo Alto to San Francisco · 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 · Palo Alto to SFO

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	39	50	47	41	40	40	40	43	48	47	46	43	39	36	35
Tue	34	36	39	56	52	45	41	39	41	43	47	52	54	50	46	39	35
Wed	34	36	39	54	48	43	41	40	41	44	49	53	56	49	44	38	35
Thu	34	36	40	57	50	43	40	40	41	43	51	55	56	51	46	40	35
Fri	34	36	39	45	42	40	40	40	42	45	50	53	51	47	42	38	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	37	39	41	40	42	41	43	43	41	39	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	37	37	39	38	37	38	38	37	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	39	50	47	41	40	40	40	43	48	47	46	43	39	36	35
Tue	34	36	39	56	52	45	41	39	41	43	47	52	54	50	46	39	35
Wed	34	36	39	54	48	43	41	40	41	44	49	53	56	49	44	38	35
Thu	34	36	40	57	50	43	40	40	41	43	51	55	56	51	46	40	35
Fri	34	36	39	45	42	40	40	40	42	45	50	53	51	47	42	38	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	37	39	41	40	42	41	43	43	41	39	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	37	37	39	38	37	38	38	37	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	39	50	47	41	40	40	40	43	48	47	46	43	39	36	35
Tue	34	36	39	56	52	45	41	39	41	43	47	52	54	50	46	39	35
Wed	34	36	39	54	48	43	41	40	41	44	49	53	56	49	44	38	35
Thu	34	36	40	57	50	43	40	40	41	43	51	55	56	51	46	40	35
Fri	34	36	39	45	42	40	40	40	42	45	50	53	51	47	42	38	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	37	39	41	40	42	41	43	43	41	39	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	37	37	39	38	37	38	38	37	35