Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Santa Clarita

Right now (7:05 am PDT): about 34 minutes via I-5 North and US-101 North and SR-170 North, usually 35 at this time.

Only 1% 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 Los Angeles 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	32	36	36	34	39	38	37	38	36	38	43	44	55	43	35	34	33
Tue	32	35	36	40	35	41	38	36	37	41	44	60	67	55	46	33	33
Wed	33	35	35	34	34	36	44	37	36	37	56	62	61	51	39	34	32
Thu	32	35	35	36	35	38	43	38	45	44	85	120	91	70	48	40	33
Fri	32	35	36	35	35	37	39	43	49	69	122	113	89	70	51	41	35
Sat	35	33	35	35	36	35	50	58	53	65	72	80	71	45	38	36	34
Sun	32	33	32	33	33	34	46	41	41	37	38	43	39	37	35	39	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Los Angeles to Santa Clarita (via I-5 North and US-101 North and SR-170 North) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 122 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 41 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (88 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 26 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Downtown LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) 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 Los Angeles to Santa Clarita?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 122 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Los Angeles to Santa Clarita?

The 33-mile drive usually takes 32 to 122 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 41 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Santa Clarita?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 122 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (12 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (11 miles) · SR-170 North in Los Angeles (6 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clarita to Los Angeles (return trip) · Los Angeles to Santa Monica · Los Angeles to Long Beach · Los Angeles to West Covina · Los Angeles to Burbank · Los Angeles to Glendale · Los Angeles to Van Nuys · Los Angeles to Torrance · Los Angeles to Hollywood · Los Angeles to Culver City · Los Angeles to El Monte · Los Angeles to Downey

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	36	36	34	39	38	37	38	36	38	43	44	55	43	35	34	33
Tue	32	35	36	40	35	41	38	36	37	41	44	60	67	55	46	33	33
Wed	33	35	35	34	34	36	44	37	36	37	56	62	61	51	39	34	32
Thu	32	35	35	36	35	38	43	38	45	44	85	120	91	70	48	40	33
Fri	32	35	36	35	35	37	39	43	49	69	122	113	89	70	51	41	35
Sat	35	33	35	35	36	35	50	58	53	65	72	80	71	45	38	36	34
Sun	32	33	32	33	33	34	46	41	41	37	38	43	39	37	35	39	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	36	36	34	39	38	37	38	36	38	43	44	55	43	35	34	33
Tue	32	35	36	40	35	41	38	36	37	41	44	60	67	55	46	33	33
Wed	33	35	35	34	34	36	44	37	36	37	56	62	61	51	39	34	32
Thu	32	35	35	36	35	38	43	38	45	44	85	120	91	70	48	40	33
Fri	32	35	36	35	35	37	39	43	49	69	122	113	89	70	51	41	35
Sat	35	33	35	35	36	35	50	58	53	65	72	80	71	45	38	36	34
Sun	32	33	32	33	33	34	46	41	41	37	38	43	39	37	35	39	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	36	36	34	39	38	37	38	36	38	43	44	55	43	35	34	33
Tue	32	35	36	40	35	41	38	36	37	41	44	60	67	55	46	33	33
Wed	33	35	35	34	34	36	44	37	36	37	56	62	61	51	39	34	32
Thu	32	35	35	36	35	38	43	38	45	44	85	120	91	70	48	40	33
Fri	32	35	36	35	35	37	39	43	49	69	122	113	89	70	51	41	35
Sat	35	33	35	35	36	35	50	58	53	65	72	80	71	45	38	36	34
Sun	32	33	32	33	33	34	46	41	41	37	38	43	39	37	35	39	39