Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Vacaville

Right now (5:49 pm PDT): about 92 minutes via I-80 East and US-101 North, usually 85 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Palo Alto to Vacaville 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	77	80	85	92	92	87	86	86	85	91	100	107	107	91	82	80	78
Tue	77	80	84	95	95	88	86	85	84	91	105	118	118	97	86	81	78
Wed	77	80	85	95	96	87	86	85	85	92	108	123	123	101	87	81	78
Thu	77	80	85	97	96	88	86	86	85	92	106	125	125	103	89	82	79
Fri	77	80	82	89	88	87	88	88	93	104	118	130	119	101	88	82	78
Sat	78	78	78	79	79	84	88	89	90	92	91	92	89	85	84	83	79
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	80	83	86	87	86	85	85	83	83	84	82	78

About this drive

On weekdays the 86-mile drive from Palo Alto to Vacaville (via I-80 East and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 77 minutes and up to 130 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 88 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (93 minutes).

About 81 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 10 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 Vacaville 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 Vacaville?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 77 minutes then, versus up to 130 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 86-mile drive usually takes 77 to 130 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 88 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Vacaville?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 130 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 East in Bay Area (48 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (33 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Vacaville 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	77	80	85	92	92	87	86	86	85	91	100	107	107	91	82	80	78
Tue	77	80	84	95	95	88	86	85	84	91	105	118	118	97	86	81	78
Wed	77	80	85	95	96	87	86	85	85	92	108	123	123	101	87	81	78
Thu	77	80	85	97	96	88	86	86	85	92	106	125	125	103	89	82	79
Fri	77	80	82	89	88	87	88	88	93	104	118	130	119	101	88	82	78
Sat	78	78	78	79	79	84	88	89	90	92	91	92	89	85	84	83	79
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	80	83	86	87	86	85	85	83	83	84	82	78

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	80	85	92	92	87	86	86	85	91	100	107	107	91	82	80	78
Tue	77	80	84	95	95	88	86	85	84	91	105	118	118	97	86	81	78
Wed	77	80	85	95	96	87	86	85	85	92	108	123	123	101	87	81	78
Thu	77	80	85	97	96	88	86	86	85	92	106	125	125	103	89	82	79
Fri	77	80	82	89	88	87	88	88	93	104	118	130	119	101	88	82	78
Sat	78	78	78	79	79	84	88	89	90	92	91	92	89	85	84	83	79
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	80	83	86	87	86	85	85	83	83	84	82	78

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	80	85	92	92	87	86	86	85	91	100	107	107	91	82	80	78
Tue	77	80	84	95	95	88	86	85	84	91	105	118	118	97	86	81	78
Wed	77	80	85	95	96	87	86	85	85	92	108	123	123	101	87	81	78
Thu	77	80	85	97	96	88	86	86	85	92	106	125	125	103	89	82	79
Fri	77	80	82	89	88	87	88	88	93	104	118	130	119	101	88	82	78
Sat	78	78	78	79	79	84	88	89	90	92	91	92	89	85	84	83	79
Sun	77	77	77	77	78	80	83	86	87	86	85	85	83	83	84	82	78