Best Time to Drive from Walnut Creek to Palo Alto

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 56 minutes via I-880 South and SR-24 West, usually 56 at this time.

Only 37% 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 Walnut Creek 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	47	57	73	78	66	57	54	54	54	55	59	62	63	56	50	49	48
Tue	47	60	81	90	76	63	57	54	53	55	59	67	66	60	53	49	48
Wed	46	60	80	89	73	62	56	54	54	56	63	74	68	61	54	49	48
Thu	47	60	79	87	76	63	57	54	54	56	63	71	69	63	55	49	49
Fri	47	55	60	64	56	55	54	53	55	61	65	70	69	61	57	50	48
Sat	48	49	49	49	49	51	54	54	56	57	58	60	61	58	52	51	49
Sun	48	48	49	48	49	50	51	53	54	55	55	54	56	54	51	51	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 48-mile drive from Walnut Creek to Palo Alto (via I-880 South and SR-24 West) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 90 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 42 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (11 to 28 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Walnut Creek (North Main Street) 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 Walnut Creek to Palo Alto?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 90 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Walnut Creek to Palo Alto?

The 48-mile drive usually takes 46 to 90 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Walnut Creek to Palo Alto?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 90 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-880 South in Bay Area (10 miles) · SR-24 West in Bay Area (10 miles) · I-580 West in Bay Area (7 miles) · SR-84 South in Bay Area (6 miles) · US-101 South in Bay Area (2 miles) · I-680 South in Bay Area (1 mile)

Bay Area traffic right now · Bay Area traffic tomorrow

Walnut Creek to Palo Alto over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	57	73	78	66	57	54	54	54	55	59	62	63	56	50	49	48
Tue	47	60	81	90	76	63	57	54	53	55	59	67	66	60	53	49	48
Wed	46	60	80	89	73	62	56	54	54	56	63	74	68	61	54	49	48
Thu	47	60	79	87	76	63	57	54	54	56	63	71	69	63	55	49	49
Fri	47	55	60	64	56	55	54	53	55	61	65	70	69	61	57	50	48
Sat	48	49	49	49	49	51	54	54	56	57	58	60	61	58	52	51	49
Sun	48	48	49	48	49	50	51	53	54	55	55	54	56	54	51	51	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	57	73	78	66	57	54	54	54	55	59	62	63	56	50	49	48
Tue	47	60	81	90	76	63	57	54	53	55	59	67	66	60	53	49	48
Wed	46	60	80	89	73	62	56	54	54	56	63	74	68	61	54	49	48
Thu	47	60	79	87	76	63	57	54	54	56	63	71	69	63	55	49	49
Fri	47	55	60	64	56	55	54	53	55	61	65	70	69	61	57	50	48
Sat	48	49	49	49	49	51	54	54	56	57	58	60	61	58	52	51	49
Sun	48	48	49	48	49	50	51	53	54	55	55	54	56	54	51	51	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	57	73	78	66	57	54	54	54	55	59	62	63	56	50	49	48
Tue	47	60	81	90	76	63	57	54	53	55	59	67	66	60	53	49	48
Wed	46	60	80	89	73	62	56	54	54	56	63	74	68	61	54	49	48
Thu	47	60	79	87	76	63	57	54	54	56	63	71	69	63	55	49	49
Fri	47	55	60	64	56	55	54	53	55	61	65	70	69	61	57	50	48
Sat	48	49	49	49	49	51	54	54	56	57	58	60	61	58	52	51	49
Sun	48	48	49	48	49	50	51	53	54	55	55	54	56	54	51	51	49