Best Time to Drive from San Leandro to Palo Alto

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 32 minutes via I-880 South and SR-84 South, usually 32 at this time.

Only 69% 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 Leandro 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	27	32	43	51	42	36	34	34	32	33	35	34	35	32	29	28	28
Tue	27	32	49	60	53	38	35	33	32	33	33	36	38	34	30	28	28
Wed	26	32	50	57	50	39	35	33	32	34	35	40	39	35	30	28	28
Thu	26	32	51	56	51	40	35	33	32	34	35	39	41	37	31	28	28
Fri	27	31	37	37	34	33	32	31	33	34	36	40	39	35	32	29	27
Sat	29	28	28	29	29	29	31	32	34	35	35	36	37	36	32	29	28
Sun	27	27	28	28	28	28	29	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	29	30	29

About this drive

On weekdays the 28-mile drive from San Leandro to Palo Alto (via I-880 South and SR-84 South) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 60 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 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).

About 23 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Leandro 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 San Leandro to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 60 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 28-mile drive usually takes 26 to 60 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Leandro to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 60 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (14 miles) · SR-84 South in Bay Area (7 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (2 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palo Alto to San Leandro (return trip) · San Leandro to San Jose · San Leandro to San Francisco · San Leandro to Sacramento · San Leandro to Oakland · San Leandro to Stockton · San Leandro to Fremont · San Leandro to Modesto · San Leandro to Santa Rosa · San Leandro to Elk Grove · San Leandro to Hayward · San Leandro to Sunnyvale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	32	43	51	42	36	34	34	32	33	35	34	35	32	29	28	28
Tue	27	32	49	60	53	38	35	33	32	33	33	36	38	34	30	28	28
Wed	26	32	50	57	50	39	35	33	32	34	35	40	39	35	30	28	28
Thu	26	32	51	56	51	40	35	33	32	34	35	39	41	37	31	28	28
Fri	27	31	37	37	34	33	32	31	33	34	36	40	39	35	32	29	27
Sat	29	28	28	29	29	29	31	32	34	35	35	36	37	36	32	29	28
Sun	27	27	28	28	28	28	29	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	29	30	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	32	43	51	42	36	34	34	32	33	35	34	35	32	29	28	28
Tue	27	32	49	60	53	38	35	33	32	33	33	36	38	34	30	28	28
Wed	26	32	50	57	50	39	35	33	32	34	35	40	39	35	30	28	28
Thu	26	32	51	56	51	40	35	33	32	34	35	39	41	37	31	28	28
Fri	27	31	37	37	34	33	32	31	33	34	36	40	39	35	32	29	27
Sat	29	28	28	29	29	29	31	32	34	35	35	36	37	36	32	29	28
Sun	27	27	28	28	28	28	29	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	29	30	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	32	43	51	42	36	34	34	32	33	35	34	35	32	29	28	28
Tue	27	32	49	60	53	38	35	33	32	33	33	36	38	34	30	28	28
Wed	26	32	50	57	50	39	35	33	32	34	35	40	39	35	30	28	28
Thu	26	32	51	56	51	40	35	33	32	34	35	39	41	37	31	28	28
Fri	27	31	37	37	34	33	32	31	33	34	36	40	39	35	32	29	27
Sat	29	28	28	29	29	29	31	32	34	35	35	36	37	36	32	29	28
Sun	27	27	28	28	28	28	29	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	29	30	29