Best Time to Drive from Palo Alto to Walnut Creek

Right now (6:53 pm PST): about 89 minutes via I-880 North and SR-24 East, usually 62 at this time.

Only 34% 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 Walnut Creek 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	47	48	51	55	58	55	53	53	54	62	72	75	71	61	53	49	47
Tue	47	48	52	58	61	58	55	53	55	64	78	89	87	71	60	52	48
Wed	47	48	51	58	59	57	54	53	55	67	82	93	89	72	60	52	48
Thu	47	48	52	58	59	58	54	54	54	64	79	90	86	70	62	53	48
Fri	47	48	50	53	54	52	53	54	60	70	83	89	79	68	58	53	49
Sat	47	47	47	48	48	50	52	53	54	57	58	59	57	54	52	51	48
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	50	51	51	52	52	52	51	52	51	50	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 47-mile drive from Palo Alto to Walnut Creek (via I-880 North and SR-24 East) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 96 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (60 minutes).

About 40 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (12 to 26 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 central Walnut Creek (North Main 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 Walnut Creek?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 96 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Palo Alto to Walnut Creek?

The 47-mile drive usually takes 47 to 96 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palo Alto to Walnut Creek?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 96 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 North in Bay Area (12 miles) · SR-24 East in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-580 East in Bay Area (6 miles) · SR-84 North in Bay Area (5 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

Palo Alto to Walnut Creek over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Walnut Creek 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 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	47	48	51	55	58	55	53	53	54	62	72	75	71	61	53	49	47
Tue	47	48	52	58	61	58	55	53	55	64	78	89	87	71	60	52	48
Wed	47	48	51	58	59	57	54	53	55	67	82	93	89	72	60	52	48
Thu	47	48	52	58	59	58	54	54	54	64	79	90	86	70	62	53	48
Fri	47	48	50	53	54	52	53	54	60	70	83	89	79	68	58	53	49
Sat	47	47	47	48	48	50	52	53	54	57	58	59	57	54	52	51	48
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	50	51	51	52	52	52	51	52	51	50	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	48	51	55	58	55	53	53	54	62	72	75	71	61	53	49	47
Tue	47	48	52	58	61	58	55	53	55	64	78	89	87	71	60	52	48
Wed	47	48	51	58	59	57	54	53	55	67	82	93	89	72	60	52	48
Thu	47	48	52	58	59	58	54	54	54	64	79	90	86	70	62	53	48
Fri	47	48	50	53	54	52	53	54	60	70	83	89	79	68	58	53	49
Sat	47	47	47	48	48	50	52	53	54	57	58	59	57	54	52	51	48
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	50	51	51	52	52	52	51	52	51	50	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	48	51	55	58	55	53	53	54	62	72	75	71	61	53	49	47
Tue	47	48	52	58	61	58	55	53	55	64	78	89	87	71	60	52	48
Wed	47	48	51	58	59	57	54	53	55	67	82	93	89	72	60	52	48
Thu	47	48	52	58	59	58	54	54	54	64	79	90	86	70	62	53	48
Fri	47	48	50	53	54	52	53	54	60	70	83	89	79	68	58	53	49
Sat	47	47	47	48	48	50	52	53	54	57	58	59	57	54	52	51	48
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	50	51	51	52	52	52	51	52	51	50	47