Best Time to Drive from Richmond to Palo Alto

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 57 minutes via I-880 South, usually 57 at this time.

Only 45% 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 Richmond 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	45	55	74	79	71	59	56	56	55	56	62	65	68	56	49	47	46
Tue	44	57	79	92	78	63	57	55	54	55	62	71	74	64	52	47	46
Wed	44	56	78	87	74	61	57	56	55	58	63	74	78	66	52	47	46
Thu	44	57	78	90	77	63	58	55	57	59	70	78	80	69	53	47	47
Fri	45	52	60	64	59	55	56	56	58	62	72	75	73	63	55	50	47
Sat	46	46	47	47	47	50	54	55	56	57	61	63	64	59	54	52	47
Sun	46	46	46	46	46	48	53	54	56	57	58	58	59	59	56	53	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 47-mile drive from Richmond to Palo Alto (via I-880 South) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 92 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (64 minutes).

About 41 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (9 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Richmond (Macdonald Avenue) 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 Richmond to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 92 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 47-mile drive usually takes 44 to 92 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Richmond to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 92 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (25 miles) · I-80 West in Bay Area (8 miles) · SR-84 South in Bay Area (6 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

Richmond to Palo Alto over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Palo Alto to Richmond (return trip) · Richmond to San Francisco · Richmond to Oakland · Richmond to San Jose · Richmond to Berkeley · Richmond to Fremont · Richmond to Walnut Creek · Richmond to San Mateo · Richmond to Hayward · Richmond to Mountain View · Richmond to Pleasanton · Richmond to Santa Clara

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	55	74	79	71	59	56	56	55	56	62	65	68	56	49	47	46
Tue	44	57	79	92	78	63	57	55	54	55	62	71	74	64	52	47	46
Wed	44	56	78	87	74	61	57	56	55	58	63	74	78	66	52	47	46
Thu	44	57	78	90	77	63	58	55	57	59	70	78	80	69	53	47	47
Fri	45	52	60	64	59	55	56	56	58	62	72	75	73	63	55	50	47
Sat	46	46	47	47	47	50	54	55	56	57	61	63	64	59	54	52	47
Sun	46	46	46	46	46	48	53	54	56	57	58	58	59	59	56	53	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	55	74	79	71	59	56	56	55	56	62	65	68	56	49	47	46
Tue	44	57	79	92	78	63	57	55	54	55	62	71	74	64	52	47	46
Wed	44	56	78	87	74	61	57	56	55	58	63	74	78	66	52	47	46
Thu	44	57	78	90	77	63	58	55	57	59	70	78	80	69	53	47	47
Fri	45	52	60	64	59	55	56	56	58	62	72	75	73	63	55	50	47
Sat	46	46	47	47	47	50	54	55	56	57	61	63	64	59	54	52	47
Sun	46	46	46	46	46	48	53	54	56	57	58	58	59	59	56	53	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	55	74	79	71	59	56	56	55	56	62	65	68	56	49	47	46
Tue	44	57	79	92	78	63	57	55	54	55	62	71	74	64	52	47	46
Wed	44	56	78	87	74	61	57	56	55	58	63	74	78	66	52	47	46
Thu	44	57	78	90	77	63	58	55	57	59	70	78	80	69	53	47	47
Fri	45	52	60	64	59	55	56	56	58	62	72	75	73	63	55	50	47
Sat	46	46	47	47	47	50	54	55	56	57	61	63	64	59	54	52	47
Sun	46	46	46	46	46	48	53	54	56	57	58	58	59	59	56	53	47