Best Time to Drive from LAX to Santa Clarita

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 56 minutes via I-405 North, usually 43 at this time.

Only 2% 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 LAX to Santa Clarita 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	39	39	39	41	40	41	42	45	50	89	135	150	123	90	57	43	40
Tue	39	39	40	41	42	41	42	45	49	77	134	153	124	93	62	44	40
Wed	39	39	40	42	42	42	41	44	50	71	125	150	133	104	73	47	41
Thu	41	41	42	43	44	43	45	49	61	77	120	146	122	94	64	46	41
Fri	39	40	40	43	43	43	44	45	55	82	117	138	116	83	55	44	40
Sat	39	39	39	40	40	41	42	42	43	43	45	49	46	43	42	41	40
Sun	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	42	41	42	42	42	42	42	41	41	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from LAX to Santa Clarita (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 153 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 11:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (12 to 50 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to central Santa Clarita (Newhall Avenue) 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 LAX to Santa Clarita?

On weekdays, leave before 11:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 153 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from LAX to Santa Clarita?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 39 to 153 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from LAX to Santa Clarita?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 153 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (24 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (6 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clarita to LAX (return trip) · LAX to Los Angeles · LAX to Pasadena · LAX to Long Beach · LAX to West Covina · LAX to Burbank · LAX to Glendale · LAX to Van Nuys · LAX to El Monte · LAX to Downey · LAX to Whittier · LAX to Thousand Oaks

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	39	39	41	40	41	42	45	50	89	135	150	123	90	57	43	40
Tue	39	39	40	41	42	41	42	45	49	77	134	153	124	93	62	44	40
Wed	39	39	40	42	42	42	41	44	50	71	125	150	133	104	73	47	41
Thu	41	41	42	43	44	43	45	49	61	77	120	146	122	94	64	46	41
Fri	39	40	40	43	43	43	44	45	55	82	117	138	116	83	55	44	40
Sat	39	39	39	40	40	41	42	42	43	43	45	49	46	43	42	41	40
Sun	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	42	41	42	42	42	42	42	41	41	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	39	39	41	40	41	42	45	50	89	135	150	123	90	57	43	40
Tue	39	39	40	41	42	41	42	45	49	77	134	153	124	93	62	44	40
Wed	39	39	40	42	42	42	41	44	50	71	125	150	133	104	73	47	41
Thu	41	41	42	43	44	43	45	49	61	77	120	146	122	94	64	46	41
Fri	39	40	40	43	43	43	44	45	55	82	117	138	116	83	55	44	40
Sat	39	39	39	40	40	41	42	42	43	43	45	49	46	43	42	41	40
Sun	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	42	41	42	42	42	42	42	41	41	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	39	39	41	40	41	42	45	50	89	135	150	123	90	57	43	40
Tue	39	39	40	41	42	41	42	45	49	77	134	153	124	93	62	44	40
Wed	39	39	40	42	42	42	41	44	50	71	125	150	133	104	73	47	41
Thu	41	41	42	43	44	43	45	49	61	77	120	146	122	94	64	46	41
Fri	39	40	40	43	43	43	44	45	55	82	117	138	116	83	55	44	40
Sat	39	39	39	40	40	41	42	42	43	43	45	49	46	43	42	41	40
Sun	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	42	41	42	42	42	42	42	41	41	40