Best Time to Drive from East Los Angeles to Palmdale

Right now (5:17 pm PDT): about 82 minutes via I-5 North and SR-14 North, usually 90 at this time.

Only 21% 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 East Los Angeles 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	62	68	81	85	88	88	88	83	90	88	89	91	90	83	76	69	64
Tue	61	68	80	80	86	89	84	82	77	81	87	93	100	88	84	73	64
Wed	61	66	76	79	82	85	84	81	79	81	85	89	93	84	85	72	61
Thu	62	67	80	81	86	89	88	85	85	87	97	104	99	89	87	77	63
Fri	62	69	77	81	87	91	88	89	91	91	90	94	93	86	86	81	65
Sat	63	62	63	65	73	87	94	91	88	89	86	86	82	79	84	81	64
Sun	62	61	61	61	62	68	80	91	102	102	100	88	80	80	79	79	66

About this drive

On weekdays the 67-mile drive from East Los Angeles to Palmdale (via I-5 North and SR-14 North) usually takes as little as 60 minutes and up to 104 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 85 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Sundays (103 minutes).

About 59 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central East Los Angeles 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 East Los Angeles to Palmdale?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 60 minutes then, versus up to 104 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from East Los Angeles to Palmdale?

The 67-mile drive usually takes 60 to 104 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 85 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from East Los Angeles to Palmdale?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 104 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (33 miles) · SR-14 North in Los Angeles (27 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palmdale to East Los Angeles (return trip) · East Los Angeles to Long Beach · East Los Angeles to Anaheim · East Los Angeles to Riverside · East Los Angeles to Santa Ana · East Los Angeles to Irvine · East Los Angeles to San Bernardino · East Los Angeles to Fontana · East Los Angeles to Oxnard · East Los Angeles to Moreno Valley · East Los Angeles to Huntington Beach · East Los Angeles to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	62	68	81	85	88	88	88	83	90	88	89	91	90	83	76	69	64
Tue	61	68	80	80	86	89	84	82	77	81	87	93	100	88	84	73	64
Wed	61	66	76	79	82	85	84	81	79	81	85	89	93	84	85	72	61
Thu	62	67	80	81	86	89	88	85	85	87	97	104	99	89	87	77	63
Fri	62	69	77	81	87	91	88	89	91	91	90	94	93	86	86	81	65
Sat	63	62	63	65	73	87	94	91	88	89	86	86	82	79	84	81	64
Sun	62	61	61	61	62	68	80	91	102	102	100	88	80	80	79	79	66

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	62	68	81	85	88	88	88	83	90	88	89	91	90	83	76	69	64
Tue	61	68	80	80	86	89	84	82	77	81	87	93	100	88	84	73	64
Wed	61	66	76	79	82	85	84	81	79	81	85	89	93	84	85	72	61
Thu	62	67	80	81	86	89	88	85	85	87	97	104	99	89	87	77	63
Fri	62	69	77	81	87	91	88	89	91	91	90	94	93	86	86	81	65
Sat	63	62	63	65	73	87	94	91	88	89	86	86	82	79	84	81	64
Sun	62	61	61	61	62	68	80	91	102	102	100	88	80	80	79	79	66

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	62	68	81	85	88	88	88	83	90	88	89	91	90	83	76	69	64
Tue	61	68	80	80	86	89	84	82	77	81	87	93	100	88	84	73	64
Wed	61	66	76	79	82	85	84	81	79	81	85	89	93	84	85	72	61
Thu	62	67	80	81	86	89	88	85	85	87	97	104	99	89	87	77	63
Fri	62	69	77	81	87	91	88	89	91	91	90	94	93	86	86	81	65
Sat	63	62	63	65	73	87	94	91	88	89	86	86	82	79	84	81	64
Sun	62	61	61	61	62	68	80	91	102	102	100	88	80	80	79	79	66