Best Time to Drive from Pleasanton to Palo Alto

Right now (2:21 pm PST): about 47 minutes via I-680 South and SR-237 West, usually 39 at this time.

Only 36% 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 Pleasanton 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	33	36	52	56	51	42	37	36	36	36	39	41	42	38	36	33	33
Tue	32	36	55	68	67	51	40	37	36	37	39	43	44	41	38	34	33
Wed	33	36	54	62	60	48	39	37	36	37	41	45	45	42	38	34	33
Thu	33	36	53	63	64	51	41	37	36	38	40	44	46	42	38	34	33
Fri	33	35	39	39	39	37	36	37	37	38	39	43	43	40	38	34	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	36	37	38	38	40	38	34	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	37	35	35	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Pleasanton to Palo Alto (via I-680 South and SR-237 West) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 68 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (40 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Pleasanton to central Palo Alto (Middlefield Road) 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 Pleasanton to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 68 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 34-mile drive usually takes 32 to 68 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pleasanton to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 68 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-680 South in Bay Area (13 miles) · SR-237 West in Bay Area (7 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (5 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (4 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palo Alto to Pleasanton (return trip) · Pleasanton to San Francisco · Pleasanton to Oakland · Pleasanton to San Jose · Pleasanton to Berkeley · Pleasanton to Fremont · Pleasanton to Walnut Creek · Pleasanton to San Mateo · Pleasanton to Hayward · Pleasanton to Mountain View · Pleasanton to Santa Clara · Pleasanton 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	33	36	52	56	51	42	37	36	36	36	39	41	42	38	36	33	33
Tue	32	36	55	68	67	51	40	37	36	37	39	43	44	41	38	34	33
Wed	33	36	54	62	60	48	39	37	36	37	41	45	45	42	38	34	33
Thu	33	36	53	63	64	51	41	37	36	38	40	44	46	42	38	34	33
Fri	33	35	39	39	39	37	36	37	37	38	39	43	43	40	38	34	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	36	37	38	38	40	38	34	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	37	35	35	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	36	52	56	51	42	37	36	36	36	39	41	42	38	36	33	33
Tue	32	36	55	68	67	51	40	37	36	37	39	43	44	41	38	34	33
Wed	33	36	54	62	60	48	39	37	36	37	41	45	45	42	38	34	33
Thu	33	36	53	63	64	51	41	37	36	38	40	44	46	42	38	34	33
Fri	33	35	39	39	39	37	36	37	37	38	39	43	43	40	38	34	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	36	37	38	38	40	38	34	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	37	35	35	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	36	52	56	51	42	37	36	36	36	39	41	42	38	36	33	33
Tue	32	36	55	68	67	51	40	37	36	37	39	43	44	41	38	34	33
Wed	33	36	54	62	60	48	39	37	36	37	41	45	45	42	38	34	33
Thu	33	36	53	63	64	51	41	37	36	38	40	44	46	42	38	34	33
Fri	33	35	39	39	39	37	36	37	37	38	39	43	43	40	38	34	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	36	37	38	38	40	38	34	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	37	35	35	33