Best Time to Drive from San Mateo to Palo Alto

Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 18 minutes via US-101 South, usually 20 at this time.

Only 49% 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 16-mile drive from San Mateo to Palo Alto (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 16 minutes and up to 33 minutes, when leaving around 9 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 18 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Saturdays (19 minutes).

About 14 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (4 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Mateo (South El Camino Real) 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 Mateo to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 16 minutes then, versus up to 33 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 16-mile drive usually takes 16 to 33 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 18 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Mateo to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 9 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 33 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Bay Area (14 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

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