Best Time to Drive from Lancaster to Los Angeles

Right now (8:04 pm PDT): about 75 minutes via SR-14 South, usually 74 at this time.

Only 13% 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 Lancaster to Los Angeles 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	79	103	100	89	82	80	81	79	78	77	80	79	77	76	75	74	71
Tue	88	105	111	104	86	81	79	78	79	79	83	84	81	80	79	76	72
Wed	99	89	92	86	81	79	77	76	77	79	83	83	81	80	78	74	71
Thu	95	113	105	85	81	83	78	77	78	80	86	86	83	78	76	75	72
Fri	76	84	82	79	80	80	79	77	78	84	86	89	84	80	77	75	71
Sat	71	74	75	75	75	76	76	79	79	80	80	84	81	77	76	75	71
Sun	71	71	72	73	74	76	77	78	78	78	79	79	79	80	81	78	73

About this drive

On weekdays the 75-mile drive from Lancaster to Los Angeles (via SR-14 South) usually takes as little as 71 minutes and up to 118 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 78 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (85 minutes).

About 63 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 13 miles surface streets (16 to 30 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Lancaster to Downtown LA (City Hall) 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 Lancaster to Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 71 minutes then, versus up to 118 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Lancaster to Los Angeles?

The 75-mile drive usually takes 71 to 118 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 78 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lancaster to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 5:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 118 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-14 South in Los Angeles (37 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (11 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-170 South in Los Angeles (5 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Los Angeles to Lancaster (return trip) · Lancaster to Long Beach · Lancaster to Anaheim · Lancaster to Riverside · Lancaster to Santa Ana · Lancaster to Oxnard · Lancaster to Glendale · Lancaster to Santa Clarita · Lancaster to Garden Grove · Lancaster to Hollywood · Lancaster to Corona · Lancaster to Pomona

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	103	100	89	82	80	81	79	78	77	80	79	77	76	75	74	71
Tue	88	105	111	104	86	81	79	78	79	79	83	84	81	80	79	76	72
Wed	99	89	92	86	81	79	77	76	77	79	83	83	81	80	78	74	71
Thu	95	113	105	85	81	83	78	77	78	80	86	86	83	78	76	75	72
Fri	76	84	82	79	80	80	79	77	78	84	86	89	84	80	77	75	71
Sat	71	74	75	75	75	76	76	79	79	80	80	84	81	77	76	75	71
Sun	71	71	72	73	74	76	77	78	78	78	79	79	79	80	81	78	73

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	103	100	89	82	80	81	79	78	77	80	79	77	76	75	74	71
Tue	88	105	111	104	86	81	79	78	79	79	83	84	81	80	79	76	72
Wed	99	89	92	86	81	79	77	76	77	79	83	83	81	80	78	74	71
Thu	95	113	105	85	81	83	78	77	78	80	86	86	83	78	76	75	72
Fri	76	84	82	79	80	80	79	77	78	84	86	89	84	80	77	75	71
Sat	71	74	75	75	75	76	76	79	79	80	80	84	81	77	76	75	71
Sun	71	71	72	73	74	76	77	78	78	78	79	79	79	80	81	78	73

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	103	100	89	82	80	81	79	78	77	80	79	77	76	75	74	71
Tue	88	105	111	104	86	81	79	78	79	79	83	84	81	80	79	76	72
Wed	99	89	92	86	81	79	77	76	77	79	83	83	81	80	78	74	71
Thu	95	113	105	85	81	83	78	77	78	80	86	86	83	78	76	75	72
Fri	76	84	82	79	80	80	79	77	78	84	86	89	84	80	77	75	71
Sat	71	74	75	75	75	76	76	79	79	80	80	84	81	77	76	75	71
Sun	71	71	72	73	74	76	77	78	78	78	79	79	79	80	81	78	73