Concord to Palo Alto Commute ? (Santa Clara, Union City: lease, home, job market)

[coachlisle]

I live in Concord and have a job interview at Stanford Hospital. I'm trying to figure out what the commute there and back for an 8-5 job would be.

My research shows 75 minutes there and maybe 90 min back, but some others are telling me double that. I get on the free way at Treat/NMain/680S in Walnut Creek/PHill.

If you have a good idea of what the commute would be, please let me know.

[sonarrat]

It would be a disaster. You'll run into consistent slow traffic before 24, before 580, coming over the Sunol Grade, in the long, s-l-o-w crawl on Calaveras Blvd. to the freeway portion of 237, and on 101 the whole way up to Palo Alto. And the alternate routes are even worse. You could take BART to Union City and connect to the Dumbarton Express, but it would still take two hours.

[coachlisle]

511.org shows on the way there:

From: I-680 S & N MAIN ST (Walnut Creek)
To: EMBARCADERO RD & US-101 (Palo Alto)
Trip A: Typical time = 66 min. (54.4 miles)
RoadTypical SpeedI-680 S55 mph CA-237 W35 mph or higher CA-237 W-US-101 N Ramp50 mph or higher US-101 N55 mph Total Typical Travel Time: 66 min.

[coachlisle]

On the way back:

From: EMBARCADERO RD & US-101 (Palo Alto)
To: I-680 N & N MAIN ST (Walnut Creek)
Trip A: Typical time = 74 min. (49.5 miles)
RoadTypical SpeedUS-101 N52 mph WILLOW RD35 mph CA-84 E40 mph I-880 N40 mph I-238 S57 mph I-238 S-I-580 W Ramp50 mph or higher I-580 W60 mph or higher I-580 W-CA-13 N Ramp50 mph or higher CA-13 N40 mph or higher CA-13 N-CA-24 E Ramp11 mph CA-24 E44 mph CA-24 E-I-680 N Ramp50 mph I-680 N33 mph Total Typical Travel Time: 74 min.

[coachlisle]

If anyone else has any thoughts, be greatly appreciated.

[bellalunatic]

It sounds like it'd be hell!
I know 511.com can be really helpful, but I've also called while on the road many times and had it tell me that there 'were no incidents to report at this time' on the road I was on...while I was in stop and go crawling traffic....
It's more reliable than google traffic, for instance, but still, I never trust the 'total travel time' predictions.
Would you consider moving closer to Stanford if you get the job?

[mdwstrnkid]

I work in Palo Alto (in the Stanford Research Park) and just moved from the Rivermark area in Santa Clara and can address the portion of the commute from CA-237 (starting at the Great America exit) to Palo Alto.

In the morning, my drive would take me at least 20 minutes (but usually 25 minutes), so I would guess that you could count on a half an hour, since the hospital is further away. Coming home to Santa Clara in the evenings, you can easily tack on another 10 minutes. However, the back up on CA-237 eastbound would often just be starting around the Great America exit, so I would guess that it would take you around 15-20 minutes just to get from the Great America exit to I-680.

Seeing that the drive from PA to SC would only be around 20% of your drive and understanding that the commute on I-680 would be far worse, I would guess that you would be looking at being in your car at least 4-5 hours daily, if not more.

[mdwstrnkid]

Also, to go from US-101 and Stanford hospital (located near I-280) and back will probably take you at least 15 minutes each way.

[sonarrat]

Also, coming west in the morning it frequently takes up to 20 minutes to get from the 237 exit from 680 to where traffic loosens up around Zanker.

[coachlisle]

I was considering moving to San Ramon/Danville if I got the job, but my lease on this place in Concord isn't up til July 1.

That would cut 25-30 minutes off the drive. Couldnt move much further south because I'm a single dad of a 12 and 4 year old in Pittsburg.

But with the job market the way it is right now, its hard to say no to any offers even if I have to sit in a car for 4-5 hours, gouging my eyes out in pain.