Transportation in Palo Alto, CA
Commute patterns, travel times, and transportation modes — 2023 ACS Data
Commute Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2023)Mean Commute
15 min
-35% vs national
Drive Alone
46.7%
-41% vs national
Public Transit
3.1%
+247% vs national
Work From Home
33.3%
+258% vs national
Carpool
3.9%
Walk / Bike
11.2%
combined
How Palo Alto's Commute Compares
Source: Census ACS (2023)How People Get to Work
Source: Census ACS (2023)Commute Mode Breakdown
Source: Census ACS (2023)Traffic Fatalities
Source: NHTSA FARS (2023)Fatalities
3
2023
5-Year Avg
3
fatalities/yr
Pedestrian
1
Nighttime
2
dark conditions
| Year | Crashes | Fatalities | Alcohol | Pedestrian | Cyclist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Data from NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Includes only crashes involving at least one fatality.
The average commute in Palo Alto, CA is 15 minutes, which is 35.0% below the national average of 23 minutes. 46.7% of workers drive alone, compared to the national average of 78.7%. 33.3% work from home, which is above the CA state average of 14.0%. Public transit is used by 3.1% of commuters, compared to the national average of 0.9%. 3.9% of workers carpool. 4.3% walk to work. 6.9% commute by bicycle. In 2023, there were 3 traffic fatalities from 3 fatal crashes. 1 was a pedestrian.