Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Stockton

Right now (6:06 pm PST): about 136 minutes via I-580 West and I-680 North, usually 123 at this time.

Only 43% 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	155	162	136	107	97	95	94	95	95	105	112	116	106	93	90	88
Tue	88	156	159	139	110	101	96	94	94	100	109	121	135	123	101	92	88
Wed	88	158	161	152	111	101	95	94	93	99	109	123	136	123	107	93	87
Thu	88	155	161	136	104	98	94	93	95	101	113	121	131	119	105	98	88
Fri	88	161	121	103	102	95	93	96	100	110	108	109	106	100	94	91	88
Sat	87	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	91	95	93	97	93	92	90	88
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	89	90	90	90	91	110	130	105	92	91	88

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 165 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 96 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (130 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 pm. The drive usually takes about 87 minutes then, versus up to 165 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 165 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 96 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Stockton?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 165 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	155	162	136	107	97	95	94	95	95	105	112	116	106	93	90	88
Tue	88	156	159	139	110	101	96	94	94	100	109	121	135	123	101	92	88
Wed	88	158	161	152	111	101	95	94	93	99	109	123	136	123	107	93	87
Thu	88	155	161	136	104	98	94	93	95	101	113	121	131	119	105	98	88
Fri	88	161	121	103	102	95	93	96	100	110	108	109	106	100	94	91	88
Sat	87	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	91	95	93	97	93	92	90	88
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	89	90	90	90	91	110	130	105	92	91	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	155	162	136	107	97	95	94	95	95	105	112	116	106	93	90	88
Tue	88	156	159	139	110	101	96	94	94	100	109	121	135	123	101	92	88
Wed	88	158	161	152	111	101	95	94	93	99	109	123	136	123	107	93	87
Thu	88	155	161	136	104	98	94	93	95	101	113	121	131	119	105	98	88
Fri	88	161	121	103	102	95	93	96	100	110	108	109	106	100	94	91	88
Sat	87	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	91	95	93	97	93	92	90	88
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	89	90	90	90	91	110	130	105	92	91	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	155	162	136	107	97	95	94	95	95	105	112	116	106	93	90	88
Tue	88	156	159	139	110	101	96	94	94	100	109	121	135	123	101	92	88
Wed	88	158	161	152	111	101	95	94	93	99	109	123	136	123	107	93	87
Thu	88	155	161	136	104	98	94	93	95	101	113	121	131	119	105	98	88
Fri	88	161	121	103	102	95	93	96	100	110	108	109	106	100	94	91	88
Sat	87	88	88	88	88	89	89	90	90	91	95	93	97	93	92	90	88
Sun	88	88	88	88	88	88	89	90	90	90	91	110	130	105	92	91	88