Best Time to Drive from Fountain Valley to Palmdale

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 121 minutes via I-405 North and SR-14 North, usually 142 at this time.

Only 12% 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 Fountain Valley 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	89	89	90	94	95	95	101	102	111	159	210	214	181	142	110	95	90
Tue	89	90	91	93	94	93	95	99	106	148	223	218	186	149	117	97	91
Wed	89	89	91	93	94	93	94	99	107	143	206	215	195	159	123	97	91
Thu	92	92	95	97	98	98	102	108	122	153	205	211	186	150	118	98	91
Fri	90	91	92	96	98	102	102	107	120	152	194	201	177	141	111	97	90
Sat	89	89	90	91	92	99	103	100	101	100	100	104	97	95	95	93	89
Sun	88	88	88	89	90	93	102	109	112	113	105	97	94	95	94	92	89

About this drive

On weekdays the 98-mile drive from Fountain Valley to Palmdale (via I-405 North and SR-14 North) usually takes as little as 88 minutes and up to 226 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 10:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 114 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (113 minutes).

About 91 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 12 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley to Palmdale?

On weekdays, leave before 10:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 88 minutes then, versus up to 226 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Fountain Valley to Palmdale?

The 98-mile drive usually takes 88 to 226 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 114 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fountain Valley to Palmdale?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 226 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (47 miles) · SR-14 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (13 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (5 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palmdale to Fountain Valley (return trip) · Fountain Valley to Los Angeles · Fountain Valley to Long Beach · Fountain Valley to Anaheim · Fountain Valley to Riverside · Fountain Valley to Irvine · Fountain Valley to San Bernardino · Fountain Valley to Fontana · Fountain Valley to Moreno Valley · Fountain Valley to Glendale · Fountain Valley to Santa Clarita · Fountain Valley to Oceanside

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	89	89	90	94	95	95	101	102	111	159	210	214	181	142	110	95	90
Tue	89	90	91	93	94	93	95	99	106	148	223	218	186	149	117	97	91
Wed	89	89	91	93	94	93	94	99	107	143	206	215	195	159	123	97	91
Thu	92	92	95	97	98	98	102	108	122	153	205	211	186	150	118	98	91
Fri	90	91	92	96	98	102	102	107	120	152	194	201	177	141	111	97	90
Sat	89	89	90	91	92	99	103	100	101	100	100	104	97	95	95	93	89
Sun	88	88	88	89	90	93	102	109	112	113	105	97	94	95	94	92	89

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	89	89	90	94	95	95	101	102	111	159	210	214	181	142	110	95	90
Tue	89	90	91	93	94	93	95	99	106	148	223	218	186	149	117	97	91
Wed	89	89	91	93	94	93	94	99	107	143	206	215	195	159	123	97	91
Thu	92	92	95	97	98	98	102	108	122	153	205	211	186	150	118	98	91
Fri	90	91	92	96	98	102	102	107	120	152	194	201	177	141	111	97	90
Sat	89	89	90	91	92	99	103	100	101	100	100	104	97	95	95	93	89
Sun	88	88	88	89	90	93	102	109	112	113	105	97	94	95	94	92	89

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	89	89	90	94	95	95	101	102	111	159	210	214	181	142	110	95	90
Tue	89	90	91	93	94	93	95	99	106	148	223	218	186	149	117	97	91
Wed	89	89	91	93	94	93	94	99	107	143	206	215	195	159	123	97	91
Thu	92	92	95	97	98	98	102	108	122	153	205	211	186	150	118	98	91
Fri	90	91	92	96	98	102	102	107	120	152	194	201	177	141	111	97	90
Sat	89	89	90	91	92	99	103	100	101	100	100	104	97	95	95	93	89
Sun	88	88	88	89	90	93	102	109	112	113	105	97	94	95	94	92	89