Commuting from Palo Alto to the East Bay

The East Bay is close to Palo Alto on a map. Fremont's Ardenwood area is less than 15 miles away. In practice the bay sits in the way, so every commute crosses the Dumbarton or San Mateo bridge, rides under the water on BART or loops around the south end of the bay through Milpitas. The good news for Palo Alto residents is that the heaviest bridge traffic runs the other way: west in the morning and east in the evening. This guide covers the options for someone living in Palo Alto and working in the East Bay, then the reverse trip.

Fares and schedules come from the operators' pages in late 2026, including the Dumbarton Express site and Caltrain's weekday timetable. Drive times are approximate. Visitors heading this way for a day should see our guide to travel between the East Bay and Palo Alto.

The Dumbarton Express

The Dumbarton Express is the main public bus across the southern half of the bay. AC Transit administers it for a group of agencies. Two lines start at Union City BART:

• DB serves the Ardenwood Park and Ride in Fremont, Willow Road at Middlefield Road in Menlo Park, Palo Alto Caltrain and the Stanford Oval.
• DB1 serves Stanford Research Park and the Palo Alto VA Hospital.

Buses run on weekdays only, from about 5:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m., with no service on New Year's Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. On the DB schedule effective October 6, 2025, the first eastbound bus left the Stanford Oval at 6:25 a.m. and the last at 7:42 p.m. Service thins out in the middle of the day, with gaps of up to two hours. The scheduled run between Palo Alto Caltrain and Union City BART is a little over half an hour on the earliest trips and longer at peak times.

Fares

Those are the adult fares on the Dumbarton Express fares page, which says the latest changes took effect July 1, 2026. Youth, senior and disabled riders pay about half. Clipper's regional transfer discount can trim the BART fare that follows.

Caltrain and BART

There are two rail routes to the East Bay. Both are long.

Via Millbrae and San Francisco

Ride a northbound Caltrain to Millbrae, which took 21 minutes on an express, 22 to 23 on a limited and 28 to 29 on a local in the early November 2026 timetable. Change across the platform to BART and ride through San Francisco and under the bay to Oakland, Berkeley or beyond. Millbrae is in Zone 2, so the Caltrain leg is two zones: $6.25 adult through 2026 and $6.50 from January 1, 2027, per the Caltrain fares page. BART charges its own fare by distance. This route runs every day and works best for Oakland, Berkeley and the Richmond line.

Via Mountain View and Milpitas

Ride Caltrain to Mountain View, 7 to 10 minutes, then VTA's Orange Line light rail east to Milpitas, where it meets BART. From Milpitas, BART heads north through Fremont, Union City and Hayward to Oakland. The light rail leg is slow, but this route avoids San Francisco and can suit Fremont and Hayward on weekends, when the Dumbarton Express does not run. The Caltrain leg is one zone, $4.00. VTA charges $2.50.

Capitol Corridor trains also link San Jose Diridon with Fremont, Hayward and Oakland, about seven times a day. Check its timetable if your office is near one of its stations.

Biking across the bay

The Dumbarton Bridge has a separated path for bikes and pedestrians, so a bike commute to Fremont or Newark is possible for strong riders. From Palo Alto, ride through East Palo Alto or along the Bay Trail to Bayfront Expressway, then cross the bridge to Fremont and the trail network around Coyote Hills. Expect a long, flat, windy ride. Our Bay Trail guide covers the Palo Alto end.

Bikes also combine with transit. Caltrain's electric trains carry up to 36 bikes in each of two bike cars at no charge. Board the bike car first, stack by destination and show a destination tag. Folding bikes up to 32 inches wide can ride in any car if folded. BART also allows bikes, with limits in crowded cars.

Driving and bridge tolls

Drivers have three choices:

1. Dumbarton Bridge (State Route 84). The natural route to Fremont, Newark and Union City. From Palo Alto, take University Avenue through East Palo Alto or Willow Road to Bayfront Expressway and the bridge.
2. San Mateo Bridge (State Route 92). Take US 101 north to Foster City and cross to Hayward. It often suits Hayward, San Leandro and Oakland.
3. Around the south bay. Take US 101 south, State Route 237 east and Interstate 880 north. It is longer in miles but has no bridge toll.

Outside rush hour, Fremont is roughly 25 to 30 minutes away via the Dumbarton Bridge and Oakland roughly 45 minutes to an hour. At peak times add a lot more, especially on Interstate 880. Heading east in the morning is a reverse commute across the bridges, which helps. Coming home in the evening, the University Avenue and Willow Road approaches on the Peninsula side can still back up.

Tolls

The Dumbarton and San Mateo bridges charge tolls westbound only, so you pay on the way home. FasTrak's Dumbarton Bridge page lists these 2026 rates:

• $8.50 for a two-axle car, solo or a two-person carpool.
• $4.25 for carpools of three or more, two-seaters carrying two people and motorcycles, in the carpool lane with a FasTrak Flex tag set to 3, weekdays 5 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m.

From January 1, 2027, the car toll on the state-owned bridges rises to $9.00 with FasTrak, $9.25 with a license plate account and $10.00 by mailed invoice. There are no cash lanes. Our bridges and tolls guide has the full picture.

Express lanes

Interstate 880 has express lanes northbound for 22 miles from Dixon Landing Road to Lewelling Boulevard and southbound for 27 miles from Hegenberger Road to Dixon Landing Road. State Route 237 has them between North Mathilda Avenue and 880. US 101 has them through Palo Alto. All are tolled Monday to Friday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Solo drivers pay the posted toll, two-person carpools pay half and three or more ride free with FasTrak Flex. See our express lanes guide. If you need a car for a stretch of East Bay meetings, you can compare rental car prices and ask how each company bills bridge tolls.

Parking in the East Bay

Most office parks in Fremont, Newark and Union City provide free lots for staff. Downtown Oakland and Berkeley are different, with paid garages and metered streets. If you drive part way and ride BART, Union City and Fremont BART stations listed a $3.40 daily parking fee and $93.80 for monthly reserved parking in late 2026, with space available all day according to BART. The Ardenwood Park and Ride in Fremont is served by the Dumbarton Express.

Shuttles

Stanford's free Marguerite AE-F line links Fremont BART, ACE Centerville station and the Ardenwood Park and Ride with the main campus on weekdays. It is aimed at East Bay residents commuting to Stanford, so check its timetable before planning a trip in the other direction. Some East Bay and Peninsula employers run private coaches across the bridges for their own staff. Those routes are internal, so ask your employer.

The reverse commute: East Bay to Palo Alto

This is the heavier direction. Transit is built around it. The Dumbarton Express runs several buses an hour from Union City BART in the morning peak. The Marguerite AE-F brings Stanford commuters from Fremont. VTA Express 104 runs from Milpitas BART to Stanford Research Park in the morning and back in the afternoon for a $5.00 express fare. Drivers pay the bridge toll on the way in and face the worst bridge traffic of the day between about 7 and 10 a.m. Our Marguerite guide covers the Stanford end.

Frequently asked questions