Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Stockton

Right now (5:17 pm PDT): about 148 minutes via I-580 West and I-680 North, usually 136 at this time.

Only 42% 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 Stockton 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	88	156	165	121	99	98	95	94	93	95	110	113	125	116	92	90	88
Tue	88	156	159	140	113	101	97	94	94	103	110	124	138	122	100	92	87
Wed	88	158	164	153	116	103	95	94	94	100	110	122	148	122	100	91	87
Thu	88	155	162	130	104	97	93	93	94	100	115	120	137	119	113	113	88
Fri	89	165	141	119	110	94	94	93	100	110	112	115	112	103	95	95	88
Sat	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	90	95	98	92	92	91	92	91	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	90	90	90	90	91	115	148	117	91	91	87

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Palo Alto to Stockton (via I-580 West and I-680 North) usually takes as little as 87 minutes and up to 168 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 95 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (148 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 32 miles surface streets (27 to 66 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palo Alto to central Stockton 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 Stockton?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 87 minutes then, versus up to 168 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 80-mile drive usually takes 87 to 168 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 95 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Stockton?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 168 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (19 miles) · I-680 North in Bay Area (10 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (8 miles) · I-880 North in Bay Area (6 miles) · SR-237 East in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Stockton 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 Richmond

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	156	165	121	99	98	95	94	93	95	110	113	125	116	92	90	88
Tue	88	156	159	140	113	101	97	94	94	103	110	124	138	122	100	92	87
Wed	88	158	164	153	116	103	95	94	94	100	110	122	148	122	100	91	87
Thu	88	155	162	130	104	97	93	93	94	100	115	120	137	119	113	113	88
Fri	89	165	141	119	110	94	94	93	100	110	112	115	112	103	95	95	88
Sat	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	90	95	98	92	92	91	92	91	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	90	90	90	90	91	115	148	117	91	91	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	156	165	121	99	98	95	94	93	95	110	113	125	116	92	90	88
Tue	88	156	159	140	113	101	97	94	94	103	110	124	138	122	100	92	87
Wed	88	158	164	153	116	103	95	94	94	100	110	122	148	122	100	91	87
Thu	88	155	162	130	104	97	93	93	94	100	115	120	137	119	113	113	88
Fri	89	165	141	119	110	94	94	93	100	110	112	115	112	103	95	95	88
Sat	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	90	95	98	92	92	91	92	91	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	90	90	90	90	91	115	148	117	91	91	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	156	165	121	99	98	95	94	93	95	110	113	125	116	92	90	88
Tue	88	156	159	140	113	101	97	94	94	103	110	124	138	122	100	92	87
Wed	88	158	164	153	116	103	95	94	94	100	110	122	148	122	100	91	87
Thu	88	155	162	130	104	97	93	93	94	100	115	120	137	119	113	113	88
Fri	89	165	141	119	110	94	94	93	100	110	112	115	112	103	95	95	88
Sat	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	90	95	98	92	92	91	92	91	89
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	90	90	90	90	91	115	148	117	91	91	87