Best Time to Drive from San Francisco to Palo Alto

Right now (8:05 pm PST): about 36 minutes via US-101 South, usually 33 at this time.

Only 46% 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 San Francisco 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	31	32	36	45	43	38	36	36	35	36	39	41	41	38	35	34	32
Tue	31	32	36	51	49	40	37	35	34	35	39	42	42	39	36	33	31
Wed	31	31	35	51	47	37	35	34	34	35	39	44	43	38	34	33	32
Thu	31	32	37	50	47	40	36	35	35	36	41	43	43	41	36	33	32
Fri	31	31	33	36	35	34	35	34	34	35	39	41	39	39	37	34	32
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	34	33	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	33	33	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from San Francisco to Palo Alto (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 54 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (36 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (4 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Francisco (Market Street) 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 San Francisco to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 54 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Francisco to Palo Alto?

The 33-mile drive usually takes 30 to 54 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Francisco to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 54 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (31 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	36	45	43	38	36	36	35	36	39	41	41	38	35	34	32
Tue	31	32	36	51	49	40	37	35	34	35	39	42	42	39	36	33	31
Wed	31	31	35	51	47	37	35	34	34	35	39	44	43	38	34	33	32
Thu	31	32	37	50	47	40	36	35	35	36	41	43	43	41	36	33	32
Fri	31	31	33	36	35	34	35	34	34	35	39	41	39	39	37	34	32
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	34	33	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	33	33	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	36	45	43	38	36	36	35	36	39	41	41	38	35	34	32
Tue	31	32	36	51	49	40	37	35	34	35	39	42	42	39	36	33	31
Wed	31	31	35	51	47	37	35	34	34	35	39	44	43	38	34	33	32
Thu	31	32	37	50	47	40	36	35	35	36	41	43	43	41	36	33	32
Fri	31	31	33	36	35	34	35	34	34	35	39	41	39	39	37	34	32
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	34	33	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	33	33	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	36	45	43	38	36	36	35	36	39	41	41	38	35	34	32
Tue	31	32	36	51	49	40	37	35	34	35	39	42	42	39	36	33	31
Wed	31	31	35	51	47	37	35	34	34	35	39	44	43	38	34	33	32
Thu	31	32	37	50	47	40	36	35	35	36	41	43	43	41	36	33	32
Fri	31	31	33	36	35	34	35	34	34	35	39	41	39	39	37	34	32
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	34	33	32
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	33	33	32