Best Time to Drive from Tracy to Palo Alto

Right now (3:21 pm PST): about 65 minutes via I-580 East and I-680 South, usually 68 at this time.

Only 8% 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 Tracy 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	66	66	96	99	89	71	69	68	67	71	79	88	87	82	69	62	62
Tue	65	67	102	107	96	79	70	67	67	71	86	90	88	82	75	64	61
Wed	65	67	100	105	101	77	70	67	67	71	84	92	90	87	79	70	62
Thu	66	66	100	105	102	77	69	67	69	74	83	92	91	85	78	70	66
Fri	66	65	92	82	72	71	68	67	72	84	100	94	85	76	67	65	63
Sat	61	61	61	61	62	62	63	63	64	64	67	69	69	71	67	64	61
Sun	61	61	61	61	61	62	63	63	63	63	63	64	73	81	67	63	61

About this drive

On weekdays the 60-mile drive from Tracy to Palo Alto (via I-580 East and I-680 South) usually takes as little as 61 minutes and up to 107 minutes, when leaving around 8 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 69 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Sundays (81 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 14 miles surface streets (20 to 48 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Tracy 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 Tracy to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 61 minutes then, versus up to 107 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 60-mile drive usually takes 61 to 107 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 69 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Tracy to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 107 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 Tracy (return trip) · Tracy to San Jose · Tracy to San Francisco · Tracy to Sacramento · Tracy to Oakland · Tracy to Fremont · Tracy to Elk Grove · Tracy to Hayward · Tracy to Sunnyvale · Tracy to Concord · Tracy to Santa Clara · Tracy to Vallejo

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	66	96	99	89	71	69	68	67	71	79	88	87	82	69	62	62
Tue	65	67	102	107	96	79	70	67	67	71	86	90	88	82	75	64	61
Wed	65	67	100	105	101	77	70	67	67	71	84	92	90	87	79	70	62
Thu	66	66	100	105	102	77	69	67	69	74	83	92	91	85	78	70	66
Fri	66	65	92	82	72	71	68	67	72	84	100	94	85	76	67	65	63
Sat	61	61	61	61	62	62	63	63	64	64	67	69	69	71	67	64	61
Sun	61	61	61	61	61	62	63	63	63	63	63	64	73	81	67	63	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	66	96	99	89	71	69	68	67	71	79	88	87	82	69	62	62
Tue	65	67	102	107	96	79	70	67	67	71	86	90	88	82	75	64	61
Wed	65	67	100	105	101	77	70	67	67	71	84	92	90	87	79	70	62
Thu	66	66	100	105	102	77	69	67	69	74	83	92	91	85	78	70	66
Fri	66	65	92	82	72	71	68	67	72	84	100	94	85	76	67	65	63
Sat	61	61	61	61	62	62	63	63	64	64	67	69	69	71	67	64	61
Sun	61	61	61	61	61	62	63	63	63	63	63	64	73	81	67	63	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	66	96	99	89	71	69	68	67	71	79	88	87	82	69	62	62
Tue	65	67	102	107	96	79	70	67	67	71	86	90	88	82	75	64	61
Wed	65	67	100	105	101	77	70	67	67	71	84	92	90	87	79	70	62
Thu	66	66	100	105	102	77	69	67	69	74	83	92	91	85	78	70	66
Fri	66	65	92	82	72	71	68	67	72	84	100	94	85	76	67	65	63
Sat	61	61	61	61	62	62	63	63	64	64	67	69	69	71	67	64	61
Sun	61	61	61	61	61	62	63	63	63	63	63	64	73	81	67	63	61