Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to San Francisco

Right now (7:05 am PDT): about 32 minutes via US-101 North, usually 31 at this time.

Only 53% 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 San Francisco 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	31	32	37	44	45	37	35	35	33	34	34	36	39	37	34	32	31
Tue	31	32	36	49	45	39	36	34	33	33	34	38	44	42	36	33	32
Wed	30	32	36	47	52	37	35	34	33	33	34	37	45	41	36	33	31
Thu	30	32	37	51	52	39	35	35	33	34	35	39	48	45	37	33	32
Fri	30	31	34	43	37	36	36	34	33	34	35	38	41	39	35	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	36	41	38	35	35	34	34	34	34	33	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	34	35	34	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Palo Alto to San Francisco (via US-101 North) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 54 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 9 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 San Francisco (Market Street) 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 San Francisco?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 54 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Palo Alto to San Francisco?

The 33-mile drive usually takes 30 to 54 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to San Francisco?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 54 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Bay Area (30 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Francisco to Palo Alto (return trip) · 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 · 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	31	32	37	44	45	37	35	35	33	34	34	36	39	37	34	32	31
Tue	31	32	36	49	45	39	36	34	33	33	34	38	44	42	36	33	32
Wed	30	32	36	47	52	37	35	34	33	33	34	37	45	41	36	33	31
Thu	30	32	37	51	52	39	35	35	33	34	35	39	48	45	37	33	32
Fri	30	31	34	43	37	36	36	34	33	34	35	38	41	39	35	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	36	41	38	35	35	34	34	34	34	33	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	34	35	34	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	37	44	45	37	35	35	33	34	34	36	39	37	34	32	31
Tue	31	32	36	49	45	39	36	34	33	33	34	38	44	42	36	33	32
Wed	30	32	36	47	52	37	35	34	33	33	34	37	45	41	36	33	31
Thu	30	32	37	51	52	39	35	35	33	34	35	39	48	45	37	33	32
Fri	30	31	34	43	37	36	36	34	33	34	35	38	41	39	35	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	36	41	38	35	35	34	34	34	34	33	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	34	35	34	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	37	44	45	37	35	35	33	34	34	36	39	37	34	32	31
Tue	31	32	36	49	45	39	36	34	33	33	34	38	44	42	36	33	32
Wed	30	32	36	47	52	37	35	34	33	33	34	37	45	41	36	33	31
Thu	30	32	37	51	52	39	35	35	33	34	35	39	48	45	37	33	32
Fri	30	31	34	43	37	36	36	34	33	34	35	38	41	39	35	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	36	41	38	35	35	34	34	34	34	33	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	34	35	34	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	31