Best Time to Drive from Vacaville to Palo Alto

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 102 minutes via I-80 West and US-101 South, usually 95 at this time.

Only 57% 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 Vacaville 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	76	94	117	112	96	91	89	87	86	88	93	89	90	82	79	78	77
Tue	75	95	127	123	105	95	90	85	85	88	94	92	95	84	79	78	77
Wed	75	96	125	120	102	95	91	86	86	88	97	97	100	86	79	78	77
Thu	76	97	122	121	103	96	91	88	88	93	100	103	106	91	81	79	76
Fri	76	87	96	95	89	86	86	87	89	93	98	97	101	92	84	79	76
Sat	76	76	77	78	81	85	94	96	94	95	96	96	96	90	85	82	77
Sun	76	76	76	77	78	81	87	90	95	95	96	94	95	92	88	83	76

About this drive

On weekdays the 86-mile drive from Vacaville to Palo Alto (via I-80 West and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 75 minutes and up to 130 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 88 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (96 minutes).

About 83 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Vacaville 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 Vacaville to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 75 minutes then, versus up to 130 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 86-mile drive usually takes 75 to 130 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 88 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Vacaville to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 130 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-80 West in Bay Area (55 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (28 miles)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palo Alto to Vacaville (return trip) · Vacaville to San Francisco · Vacaville to Sacramento · Vacaville to Oakland · Vacaville to Fremont · Vacaville to Santa Rosa · Vacaville to Elk Grove · Vacaville to Hayward · Vacaville to Sunnyvale · Vacaville to Roseville · Vacaville to Concord · Vacaville to Santa Clara

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	76	94	117	112	96	91	89	87	86	88	93	89	90	82	79	78	77
Tue	75	95	127	123	105	95	90	85	85	88	94	92	95	84	79	78	77
Wed	75	96	125	120	102	95	91	86	86	88	97	97	100	86	79	78	77
Thu	76	97	122	121	103	96	91	88	88	93	100	103	106	91	81	79	76
Fri	76	87	96	95	89	86	86	87	89	93	98	97	101	92	84	79	76
Sat	76	76	77	78	81	85	94	96	94	95	96	96	96	90	85	82	77
Sun	76	76	76	77	78	81	87	90	95	95	96	94	95	92	88	83	76

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	76	94	117	112	96	91	89	87	86	88	93	89	90	82	79	78	77
Tue	75	95	127	123	105	95	90	85	85	88	94	92	95	84	79	78	77
Wed	75	96	125	120	102	95	91	86	86	88	97	97	100	86	79	78	77
Thu	76	97	122	121	103	96	91	88	88	93	100	103	106	91	81	79	76
Fri	76	87	96	95	89	86	86	87	89	93	98	97	101	92	84	79	76
Sat	76	76	77	78	81	85	94	96	94	95	96	96	96	90	85	82	77
Sun	76	76	76	77	78	81	87	90	95	95	96	94	95	92	88	83	76

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	76	94	117	112	96	91	89	87	86	88	93	89	90	82	79	78	77
Tue	75	95	127	123	105	95	90	85	85	88	94	92	95	84	79	78	77
Wed	75	96	125	120	102	95	91	86	86	88	97	97	100	86	79	78	77
Thu	76	97	122	121	103	96	91	88	88	93	100	103	106	91	81	79	76
Fri	76	87	96	95	89	86	86	87	89	93	98	97	101	92	84	79	76
Sat	76	76	77	78	81	85	94	96	94	95	96	96	96	90	85	82	77
Sun	76	76	76	77	78	81	87	90	95	95	96	94	95	92	88	83	76