Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Richmond

Right now (4:18 pm PDT): about 77 minutes via I-880 North, usually 83 at this time.

Only 37% 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 Richmond 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	45	48	53	63	60	54	52	52	53	61	71	71	70	57	50	47	45
Tue	45	48	53	70	64	57	53	52	53	61	73	80	83	67	57	51	46
Wed	45	48	53	67	61	55	53	52	54	63	75	84	86	67	57	50	46
Thu	45	48	54	71	62	55	52	52	54	60	79	86	86	69	58	52	46
Fri	45	48	51	57	54	52	53	54	58	68	79	84	78	65	56	50	45
Sat	45	46	46	46	47	49	53	56	57	60	59	59	58	53	51	50	46
Sun	45	45	45	46	46	48	49	50	52	53	53	52	50	51	50	49	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from Palo Alto to Richmond (via I-880 North) usually takes as little as 45 minutes and up to 88 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 40 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (11 to 22 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 Richmond (Macdonald Avenue) 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 Richmond?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 45 minutes then, versus up to 88 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 46-mile drive usually takes 45 to 88 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Richmond?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 88 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (25 miles) · SR-84 North in Bay Area (5 miles) · I-80 East in Bay Area (4 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (3 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Richmond 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 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	45	48	53	63	60	54	52	52	53	61	71	71	70	57	50	47	45
Tue	45	48	53	70	64	57	53	52	53	61	73	80	83	67	57	51	46
Wed	45	48	53	67	61	55	53	52	54	63	75	84	86	67	57	50	46
Thu	45	48	54	71	62	55	52	52	54	60	79	86	86	69	58	52	46
Fri	45	48	51	57	54	52	53	54	58	68	79	84	78	65	56	50	45
Sat	45	46	46	46	47	49	53	56	57	60	59	59	58	53	51	50	46
Sun	45	45	45	46	46	48	49	50	52	53	53	52	50	51	50	49	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	48	53	63	60	54	52	52	53	61	71	71	70	57	50	47	45
Tue	45	48	53	70	64	57	53	52	53	61	73	80	83	67	57	51	46
Wed	45	48	53	67	61	55	53	52	54	63	75	84	86	67	57	50	46
Thu	45	48	54	71	62	55	52	52	54	60	79	86	86	69	58	52	46
Fri	45	48	51	57	54	52	53	54	58	68	79	84	78	65	56	50	45
Sat	45	46	46	46	47	49	53	56	57	60	59	59	58	53	51	50	46
Sun	45	45	45	46	46	48	49	50	52	53	53	52	50	51	50	49	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	48	53	63	60	54	52	52	53	61	71	71	70	57	50	47	45
Tue	45	48	53	70	64	57	53	52	53	61	73	80	83	67	57	51	46
Wed	45	48	53	67	61	55	53	52	54	63	75	84	86	67	57	50	46
Thu	45	48	54	71	62	55	52	52	54	60	79	86	86	69	58	52	46
Fri	45	48	51	57	54	52	53	54	58	68	79	84	78	65	56	50	45
Sat	45	46	46	46	47	49	53	56	57	60	59	59	58	53	51	50	46
Sun	45	45	45	46	46	48	49	50	52	53	53	52	50	51	50	49	46