Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Pleasanton

Right now (6:17 am PDT): about 35 minutes via I-680 North and US-101 South, usually 40 at this time.

Only 57% 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 Pleasanton 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	34	35	41	43	44	40	38	38	38	42	48	50	52	47	39	36	35
Tue	34	35	43	45	52	46	44	38	38	41	52	64	74	62	47	38	34
Wed	34	35	41	42	45	43	39	38	38	42	54	63	77	58	47	38	34
Thu	34	35	41	44	46	43	38	37	38	42	52	64	73	58	50	39	35
Fri	34	35	36	37	39	37	38	38	40	44	50	54	51	47	41	37	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	35	36	38	38	39	39	40	44	44	38	37	35
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	36	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Palo Alto to Pleasanton (via I-680 North and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 77 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (44 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 16 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 central Pleasanton 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 Pleasanton?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 77 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 34-mile drive usually takes 34 to 77 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Pleasanton?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 77 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 North in Bay Area (11 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (7 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (5 miles) · SR-237 East in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Pleasanton 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 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	34	35	41	43	44	40	38	38	38	42	48	50	52	47	39	36	35
Tue	34	35	43	45	52	46	44	38	38	41	52	64	74	62	47	38	34
Wed	34	35	41	42	45	43	39	38	38	42	54	63	77	58	47	38	34
Thu	34	35	41	44	46	43	38	37	38	42	52	64	73	58	50	39	35
Fri	34	35	36	37	39	37	38	38	40	44	50	54	51	47	41	37	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	35	36	38	38	39	39	40	44	44	38	37	35
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	36	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	35	41	43	44	40	38	38	38	42	48	50	52	47	39	36	35
Tue	34	35	43	45	52	46	44	38	38	41	52	64	74	62	47	38	34
Wed	34	35	41	42	45	43	39	38	38	42	54	63	77	58	47	38	34
Thu	34	35	41	44	46	43	38	37	38	42	52	64	73	58	50	39	35
Fri	34	35	36	37	39	37	38	38	40	44	50	54	51	47	41	37	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	35	36	38	38	39	39	40	44	44	38	37	35
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	36	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	35	41	43	44	40	38	38	38	42	48	50	52	47	39	36	35
Tue	34	35	43	45	52	46	44	38	38	41	52	64	74	62	47	38	34
Wed	34	35	41	42	45	43	39	38	38	42	54	63	77	58	47	38	34
Thu	34	35	41	44	46	43	38	37	38	42	52	64	73	58	50	39	35
Fri	34	35	36	37	39	37	38	38	40	44	50	54	51	47	41	37	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	35	36	38	38	39	39	40	44	44	38	37	35
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	37	37	38	39	37	36	34