Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Tracy

Right now (7:20 pm PDT): about 64 minutes via I-580 West and I-680 North, usually 64 at this time.

Only 56% 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 Tracy 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	61	112	117	99	82	69	67	66	66	68	78	87	88	81	65	62	61
Tue	60	109	115	109	83	74	69	67	65	69	79	96	108	96	76	64	60
Wed	61	111	115	115	82	72	68	67	65	69	83	91	108	94	79	66	60
Thu	61	111	114	116	78	71	67	65	66	72	81	97	107	90	80	69	61
Fri	61	115	113	73	73	67	66	67	69	76	83	83	80	76	67	63	61
Sat	60	60	61	61	61	61	62	63	63	64	65	65	71	67	65	64	62
Sun	61	60	60	60	61	61	62	63	63	63	64	82	106	91	65	64	60

About this drive

On weekdays the 60-mile drive from Palo Alto to Tracy (via I-580 West and I-680 North) usually takes as little as 60 minutes and up to 120 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 67 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Sundays (113 minutes).

About 47 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 13 miles surface streets (19 to 45 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 Tracy 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 Tracy?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 60 minutes then, versus up to 120 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 60-mile drive usually takes 60 to 120 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 67 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Tracy?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Fridays is usually slowest, about 120 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 West in Bay Area (18 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

Tracy 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	61	112	117	99	82	69	67	66	66	68	78	87	88	81	65	62	61
Tue	60	109	115	109	83	74	69	67	65	69	79	96	108	96	76	64	60
Wed	61	111	115	115	82	72	68	67	65	69	83	91	108	94	79	66	60
Thu	61	111	114	116	78	71	67	65	66	72	81	97	107	90	80	69	61
Fri	61	115	113	73	73	67	66	67	69	76	83	83	80	76	67	63	61
Sat	60	60	61	61	61	61	62	63	63	64	65	65	71	67	65	64	62
Sun	61	60	60	60	61	61	62	63	63	63	64	82	106	91	65	64	60

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	61	112	117	99	82	69	67	66	66	68	78	87	88	81	65	62	61
Tue	60	109	115	109	83	74	69	67	65	69	79	96	108	96	76	64	60
Wed	61	111	115	115	82	72	68	67	65	69	83	91	108	94	79	66	60
Thu	61	111	114	116	78	71	67	65	66	72	81	97	107	90	80	69	61
Fri	61	115	113	73	73	67	66	67	69	76	83	83	80	76	67	63	61
Sat	60	60	61	61	61	61	62	63	63	64	65	65	71	67	65	64	62
Sun	61	60	60	60	61	61	62	63	63	63	64	82	106	91	65	64	60

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	61	112	117	99	82	69	67	66	66	68	78	87	88	81	65	62	61
Tue	60	109	115	109	83	74	69	67	65	69	79	96	108	96	76	64	60
Wed	61	111	115	115	82	72	68	67	65	69	83	91	108	94	79	66	60
Thu	61	111	114	116	78	71	67	65	66	72	81	97	107	90	80	69	61
Fri	61	115	113	73	73	67	66	67	69	76	83	83	80	76	67	63	61
Sat	60	60	61	61	61	61	62	63	63	64	65	65	71	67	65	64	62
Sun	61	60	60	60	61	61	62	63	63	63	64	82	106	91	65	64	60