Best Time to Drive from Petaluma to Palo Alto

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 71 minutes via US-101 South.

Only 76% 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 Petaluma to Palo Alto 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	71	89	124	113	95	86	82	81	80	83	88	86	85	78	75	74	73
Tue	71	92	150	132	111	92	85	80	79	84	90	89	93	82	75	74	73
Wed	71	91	142	125	105	92	86	81	81	83	91	94	98	83	75	74	73
Thu	71	91	145	129	106	93	87	82	82	86	93	97	100	86	77	75	73
Fri	71	82	103	93	87	82	83	84	84	86	93	92	96	89	79	75	72
Sat	72	72	73	73	76	80	91	97	94	93	92	92	94	88	81	77	74
Sun	71	72	72	72	73	77	84	90	95	93	94	90	91	87	82	77	71

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Petaluma to Palo Alto (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 71 minutes and up to 150 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 82 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (97 minutes).

About 76 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Petaluma to central Palo Alto 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 Petaluma to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 71 minutes then, versus up to 150 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 80-mile drive usually takes 71 to 150 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 82 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Petaluma to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 150 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (49 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (15 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (13 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palo Alto to Petaluma (return trip) · Petaluma to San Francisco · Petaluma to Sacramento · Petaluma to Oakland · Petaluma to Fremont · Petaluma to Santa Rosa · Petaluma to Elk Grove · Petaluma to Hayward · Petaluma to Sunnyvale · Petaluma to Concord · Petaluma to Berkeley · Petaluma to Antioch

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	89	124	113	95	86	82	81	80	83	88	86	85	78	75	74	73
Tue	71	92	150	132	111	92	85	80	79	84	90	89	93	82	75	74	73
Wed	71	91	142	125	105	92	86	81	81	83	91	94	98	83	75	74	73
Thu	71	91	145	129	106	93	87	82	82	86	93	97	100	86	77	75	73
Fri	71	82	103	93	87	82	83	84	84	86	93	92	96	89	79	75	72
Sat	72	72	73	73	76	80	91	97	94	93	92	92	94	88	81	77	74
Sun	71	72	72	72	73	77	84	90	95	93	94	90	91	87	82	77	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	89	124	113	95	86	82	81	80	83	88	86	85	78	75	74	73
Tue	71	92	150	132	111	92	85	80	79	84	90	89	93	82	75	74	73
Wed	71	91	142	125	105	92	86	81	81	83	91	94	98	83	75	74	73
Thu	71	91	145	129	106	93	87	82	82	86	93	97	100	86	77	75	73
Fri	71	82	103	93	87	82	83	84	84	86	93	92	96	89	79	75	72
Sat	72	72	73	73	76	80	91	97	94	93	92	92	94	88	81	77	74
Sun	71	72	72	72	73	77	84	90	95	93	94	90	91	87	82	77	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	89	124	113	95	86	82	81	80	83	88	86	85	78	75	74	73
Tue	71	92	150	132	111	92	85	80	79	84	90	89	93	82	75	74	73
Wed	71	91	142	125	105	92	86	81	81	83	91	94	98	83	75	74	73
Thu	71	91	145	129	106	93	87	82	82	86	93	97	100	86	77	75	73
Fri	71	82	103	93	87	82	83	84	84	86	93	92	96	89	79	75	72
Sat	72	72	73	73	76	80	91	97	94	93	92	92	94	88	81	77	74
Sun	71	72	72	72	73	77	84	90	95	93	94	90	91	87	82	77	71