Best Time to Drive from Stockton to Palo Alto

Right now (5:17 pm PDT): about 129 minutes via I-580 East and I-680 South, usually 117 at this time.

Only 40% 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 Stockton 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	92	94	134	134	100	95	96	95	95	97	111	121	119	118	105	89	87
Tue	94	95	141	141	124	104	96	93	94	102	119	117	114	108	100	89	87
Wed	96	96	139	139	133	103	96	93	94	101	117	116	114	115	103	90	87
Thu	95	96	139	139	133	96	93	93	95	101	114	125	119	117	111	111	105
Fri	95	92	127	127	107	103	93	94	99	114	125	123	116	107	97	94	93
Sat	87	87	87	87	88	88	89	89	90	91	96	97	91	91	89	89	87
Sun	87	87	87	87	88	88	89	89	89	89	89	90	111	123	92	88	87

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Stockton to Palo Alto (via I-580 East and I-680 South) usually takes as little as 87 minutes and up to 142 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 96 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6:30 pm on Sundays (123 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 34 miles surface streets (24 to 61 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Stockton 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 Stockton to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 87 minutes then, versus up to 142 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 80-mile drive usually takes 87 to 142 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 96 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Stockton to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 142 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-580 East in Bay Area (19 miles) · I-680 South in Bay Area (10 miles) · SR-237 West in Bay Area (6 miles) · I-880 South in Bay Area (5 miles) · US-101 North in Bay Area (5 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palo Alto to Stockton (return trip) · Stockton to San Francisco · Stockton to Sacramento · Stockton to Oakland · Stockton to San Jose · Stockton to Livermore · Stockton to Fremont · Stockton to Elk Grove · Stockton to Hayward · Stockton to Sunnyvale · Stockton to Roseville · Stockton to Concord

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	92	94	134	134	100	95	96	95	95	97	111	121	119	118	105	89	87
Tue	94	95	141	141	124	104	96	93	94	102	119	117	114	108	100	89	87
Wed	96	96	139	139	133	103	96	93	94	101	117	116	114	115	103	90	87
Thu	95	96	139	139	133	96	93	93	95	101	114	125	119	117	111	111	105
Fri	95	92	127	127	107	103	93	94	99	114	125	123	116	107	97	94	93
Sat	87	87	87	87	88	88	89	89	90	91	96	97	91	91	89	89	87
Sun	87	87	87	87	88	88	89	89	89	89	89	90	111	123	92	88	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	92	94	134	134	100	95	96	95	95	97	111	121	119	118	105	89	87
Tue	94	95	141	141	124	104	96	93	94	102	119	117	114	108	100	89	87
Wed	96	96	139	139	133	103	96	93	94	101	117	116	114	115	103	90	87
Thu	95	96	139	139	133	96	93	93	95	101	114	125	119	117	111	111	105
Fri	95	92	127	127	107	103	93	94	99	114	125	123	116	107	97	94	93
Sat	87	87	87	87	88	88	89	89	90	91	96	97	91	91	89	89	87
Sun	87	87	87	87	88	88	89	89	89	89	89	90	111	123	92	88	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	92	94	134	134	100	95	96	95	95	97	111	121	119	118	105	89	87
Tue	94	95	141	141	124	104	96	93	94	102	119	117	114	108	100	89	87
Wed	96	96	139	139	133	103	96	93	94	101	117	116	114	115	103	90	87
Thu	95	96	139	139	133	96	93	93	95	101	114	125	119	117	111	111	105
Fri	95	92	127	127	107	103	93	94	99	114	125	123	116	107	97	94	93
Sat	87	87	87	87	88	88	89	89	90	91	96	97	91	91	89	89	87
Sun	87	87	87	87	88	88	89	89	89	89	89	90	111	123	92	88	87