Best Time to Drive from Carson to Palmdale

Right now (6:53 pm PDT): about 92 minutes via I-405 North and SR-14 North, usually 99 at this time.

Only 14% 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 Carson to Palmdale 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	72	71	72	72	75	77	81	80	89	110	147	164	151	118	88	78	73
Tue	71	72	73	73	74	75	76	77	82	98	144	173	153	121	95	79	73
Wed	71	70	72	73	75	74	76	77	82	96	136	159	153	130	102	79	72
Thu	73	73	75	78	79	79	82	85	92	104	143	165	154	126	99	80	72
Fri	72	72	72	75	76	84	82	87	93	110	137	157	145	118	92	80	72
Sat	73	71	71	72	73	80	84	83	80	82	80	82	78	75	75	75	72
Sun	71	70	70	71	71	75	82	90	94	94	93	78	74	75	74	75	72

About this drive

On weekdays the 77-mile drive from Carson to Palmdale (via I-405 North and SR-14 North) usually takes as little as 70 minutes and up to 173 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 10 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 87 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Sundays (95 minutes).

About 70 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (8 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carson to central Palmdale 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 Carson to Palmdale?

On weekdays, leave before 10 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 70 minutes then, versus up to 173 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Carson to Palmdale?

The 77-mile drive usually takes 70 to 173 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 87 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carson to Palmdale?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 173 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (37 miles) · SR-14 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-110 North in Los Angeles (1.8 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palmdale to Carson (return trip) · Carson to Los Angeles · Carson to Long Beach · Carson to Anaheim · Carson to Riverside · Carson to Santa Ana · Carson to Irvine · Carson to Buena Park · Carson to San Bernardino · Carson to Fontana · Carson to Oxnard · Carson to Moreno Valley

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	71	72	72	75	77	81	80	89	110	147	164	151	118	88	78	73
Tue	71	72	73	73	74	75	76	77	82	98	144	173	153	121	95	79	73
Wed	71	70	72	73	75	74	76	77	82	96	136	159	153	130	102	79	72
Thu	73	73	75	78	79	79	82	85	92	104	143	165	154	126	99	80	72
Fri	72	72	72	75	76	84	82	87	93	110	137	157	145	118	92	80	72
Sat	73	71	71	72	73	80	84	83	80	82	80	82	78	75	75	75	72
Sun	71	70	70	71	71	75	82	90	94	94	93	78	74	75	74	75	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	71	72	72	75	77	81	80	89	110	147	164	151	118	88	78	73
Tue	71	72	73	73	74	75	76	77	82	98	144	173	153	121	95	79	73
Wed	71	70	72	73	75	74	76	77	82	96	136	159	153	130	102	79	72
Thu	73	73	75	78	79	79	82	85	92	104	143	165	154	126	99	80	72
Fri	72	72	72	75	76	84	82	87	93	110	137	157	145	118	92	80	72
Sat	73	71	71	72	73	80	84	83	80	82	80	82	78	75	75	75	72
Sun	71	70	70	71	71	75	82	90	94	94	93	78	74	75	74	75	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	71	72	72	75	77	81	80	89	110	147	164	151	118	88	78	73
Tue	71	72	73	73	74	75	76	77	82	98	144	173	153	121	95	79	73
Wed	71	70	72	73	75	74	76	77	82	96	136	159	153	130	102	79	72
Thu	73	73	75	78	79	79	82	85	92	104	143	165	154	126	99	80	72
Fri	72	72	72	75	76	84	82	87	93	110	137	157	145	118	92	80	72
Sat	73	71	71	72	73	80	84	83	80	82	80	82	78	75	75	75	72
Sun	71	70	70	71	71	75	82	90	94	94	93	78	74	75	74	75	72