Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Oakland

Right now (8:32 am PDT): about 57 minutes via I-880 North, usually 51 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.

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 83 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm 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 2:30 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Oakland to Palo Alto

Freeway, about 28 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 6 miles: 10 to 19 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from central Palo Alto (Middlefield Road) to downtown Oakland (Broadway) along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

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	48	41	40	40	40	43	48	46	45	43	39	36	35
Tue	34	36	40	57	52	45	41	39	40	43	47	51	54	49	44	38	35
Wed	34	36	39	53	48	43	41	39	40	44	49	53	54	48	43	37	35
Thu	34	36	40	57	51	43	39	40	41	43	83	60	56	51	46	39	35
Fri	34	36	39	45	42	40	40	40	41	44	50	53	50	47	42	38	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	37	39	40	40	42	41	43	42	40	38	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	38	38	38	38	37	38	37	37	35

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 83 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 83 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 41 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Oakland?

Leaving around 3 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 83 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

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	48	41	40	40	40	43	48	46	45	43	39	36	35
Tue	34	36	40	57	52	45	41	39	40	43	47	51	54	49	44	38	35
Wed	34	36	39	53	48	43	41	39	40	44	49	53	54	48	43	37	35
Thu	34	36	40	57	51	43	39	40	41	43	83	60	56	51	46	39	35
Fri	34	36	39	45	42	40	40	40	41	44	50	53	50	47	42	38	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	37	39	40	40	42	41	43	42	40	38	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	38	38	38	38	37	38	37	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	48	41	40	40	40	43	48	46	45	43	39	36	35
Tue	34	36	40	57	52	45	41	39	40	43	47	51	54	49	44	38	35
Wed	34	36	39	53	48	43	41	39	40	44	49	53	54	48	43	37	35
Thu	34	36	40	57	51	43	39	40	41	43	83	60	56	51	46	39	35
Fri	34	36	39	45	42	40	40	40	41	44	50	53	50	47	42	38	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	37	39	40	40	42	41	43	42	40	38	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	38	38	38	38	37	38	37	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	48	41	40	40	40	43	48	46	45	43	39	36	35
Tue	34	36	40	57	52	45	41	39	40	43	47	51	54	49	44	38	35
Wed	34	36	39	53	48	43	41	39	40	44	49	53	54	48	43	37	35
Thu	34	36	40	57	51	43	39	40	41	43	83	60	56	51	46	39	35
Fri	34	36	39	45	42	40	40	40	41	44	50	53	50	47	42	38	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	35	37	39	40	40	42	41	43	42	40	38	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	38	38	38	38	37	38	37	37	35