Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Santa Clarita

Right now (6:47 am PDT): about 39 minutes via I-5 North and US-101 North and SR-170 North, usually 40 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	35	39	42	43	41	39	38	38	39	45	54	57	51	38	35	33
Tue	32	35	39	41	41	41	39	38	38	39	45	53	56	50	39	35	33
Wed	32	35	41	42	43	43	41	39	39	40	45	53	57	51	40	36	33
Thu	32	35	40	42	42	42	41	39	39	40	47	57	60	51	40	36	33
Fri	32	35	39	40	40	40	40	41	42	45	56	62	61	52	41	36	33
Sat	32	34	34	35	36	38	40	41	42	41	42	41	41	39	37	35	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	36	39	41	42	43	43	42	41	38	37	34

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 63 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Sundays (43 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 11 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 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 63 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 63 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Santa Clarita?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 63 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	35	39	42	43	41	39	38	38	39	45	54	57	51	38	35	33
Tue	32	35	39	41	41	41	39	38	38	39	45	53	56	50	39	35	33
Wed	32	35	41	42	43	43	41	39	39	40	45	53	57	51	40	36	33
Thu	32	35	40	42	42	42	41	39	39	40	47	57	60	51	40	36	33
Fri	32	35	39	40	40	40	40	41	42	45	56	62	61	52	41	36	33
Sat	32	34	34	35	36	38	40	41	42	41	42	41	41	39	37	35	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	36	39	41	42	43	43	42	41	38	37	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	35	39	42	43	41	39	38	38	39	45	54	57	51	38	35	33
Tue	32	35	39	41	41	41	39	38	38	39	45	53	56	50	39	35	33
Wed	32	35	41	42	43	43	41	39	39	40	45	53	57	51	40	36	33
Thu	32	35	40	42	42	42	41	39	39	40	47	57	60	51	40	36	33
Fri	32	35	39	40	40	40	40	41	42	45	56	62	61	52	41	36	33
Sat	32	34	34	35	36	38	40	41	42	41	42	41	41	39	37	35	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	36	39	41	42	43	43	42	41	38	37	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	35	39	42	43	41	39	38	38	39	45	54	57	51	38	35	33
Tue	32	35	39	41	41	41	39	38	38	39	45	53	56	50	39	35	33
Wed	32	35	41	42	43	43	41	39	39	40	45	53	57	51	40	36	33
Thu	32	35	40	42	42	42	41	39	39	40	47	57	60	51	40	36	33
Fri	32	35	39	40	40	40	40	41	42	45	56	62	61	52	41	36	33
Sat	32	34	34	35	36	38	40	41	42	41	42	41	41	39	37	35	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	36	39	41	42	43	43	42	41	38	37	34