<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2016-07-05</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001130591</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>XENOPORT INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>XNPT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001235945</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WIERENGA WENDALL</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O XENOPORT, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>2000 SEAPORT BOULEVARD, SUITE 300</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>REDWOOD CITY</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94063</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

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            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
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                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
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                    <value>38998</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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    <derivativeTable>
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            </transactionTimeliness>
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                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                </transactionPricePerShare>
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                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
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            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
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                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
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                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
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            <securityTitle>
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            <transactionDate>
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            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
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            <transactionDate>
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            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
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                <value></value>
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                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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            <exerciseDate>
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            <expirationDate>
                <value>2024-06-11</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
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                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
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                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
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                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
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                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
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            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>6.04</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-07-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
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            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>15000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>7.03</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2025-05-19</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>15000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Options</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>4.35</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-07-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>15000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>7.03</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
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            <expirationDate>
                <value>2026-05-17</value>
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                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
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                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Restricted Stock Units</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-07-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
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                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
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            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>5000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>7.03</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
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                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>5000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
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                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the &quot;Merger Agreement&quot;), dated May 21, 2016, by and among XenoPort, Inc. (&quot;XenoPort&quot;), Arbor Pharmaceuticals, LLC (&quot;Arbor&quot;) and AP Acquisition Sub, Inc. (&quot;AP Acquisition Sub&quot;), a wholly owned subsidiary of Arbor, immediately prior to the Acceptance Time (as defined in the Merger Agreement), each outstanding and unexercised option to purchase shares of common stock of XenoPort was fully vested, cancelled and converted into the right to receive an amount (subject to any applicable withholding tax) in cash equal to: (A) $7.03 per share minus (B) the exercise price per share of common stock of XenoPort.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Each restricted stock unit (&quot;RSU&quot;) represents the right to receive one share of common stock of XenoPort.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, immediately prior to the Acceptance Time (as defined in the Merger Agreement), each outstanding RSU was fully vested, cancelled and converted into the right to receive an amount (subject to any applicable withholding tax) in cash equal to $7.03 per share.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ William G. Harris, as Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-07-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
