Best Time to Drive from Mid-City to Palmdale

Right now (6:53 pm PST): about 84 minutes via SR-14 North and I-405 North, usually 78 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 Mid-City 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	58	59	59	60	61	63	63	65	67	76	96	108	111	96	73	62	61
Tue	58	59	60	60	61	61	61	62	65	73	94	112	116	97	78	66	60
Wed	59	58	59	60	61	60	62	62	65	73	90	105	113	99	81	64	59
Thu	59	60	61	63	65	65	64	67	70	75	95	114	112	94	78	66	59
Fri	59	60	59	61	61	67	67	69	72	79	95	106	104	91	74	66	60
Sat	59	58	58	59	59	61	67	68	64	65	64	64	63	61	61	61	58
Sun	58	57	57	58	58	60	66	74	79	79	78	66	63	63	62	61	59

About this drive

On weekdays the 63-mile drive from Mid-City to Palmdale (via SR-14 North and I-405 North) usually takes as little as 58 minutes and up to 117 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 68 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Sundays (81 minutes).

About 56 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (8 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Mid-City 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 Mid-City to Palmdale?

On weekdays, leave before 11:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 58 minutes then, versus up to 117 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Mid-City to Palmdale?

The 63-mile drive usually takes 58 to 117 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 68 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mid-City to Palmdale?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 117 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-14 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (20 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palmdale to Mid-City (return trip) · Mid-City to Fontana · Mid-City to Moreno Valley · Mid-City to Glendale · Mid-City to Lancaster · Mid-City to Valencia · Mid-City to Fullerton · Mid-City to East Los Angeles · Mid-City to Costa Mesa · Mid-City to Norwalk · Mid-City to Rialto · Mid-City to Compton

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	58	59	59	60	61	63	63	65	67	76	96	108	111	96	73	62	61
Tue	58	59	60	60	61	61	61	62	65	73	94	112	116	97	78	66	60
Wed	59	58	59	60	61	60	62	62	65	73	90	105	113	99	81	64	59
Thu	59	60	61	63	65	65	64	67	70	75	95	114	112	94	78	66	59
Fri	59	60	59	61	61	67	67	69	72	79	95	106	104	91	74	66	60
Sat	59	58	58	59	59	61	67	68	64	65	64	64	63	61	61	61	58
Sun	58	57	57	58	58	60	66	74	79	79	78	66	63	63	62	61	59

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	58	59	59	60	61	63	63	65	67	76	96	108	111	96	73	62	61
Tue	58	59	60	60	61	61	61	62	65	73	94	112	116	97	78	66	60
Wed	59	58	59	60	61	60	62	62	65	73	90	105	113	99	81	64	59
Thu	59	60	61	63	65	65	64	67	70	75	95	114	112	94	78	66	59
Fri	59	60	59	61	61	67	67	69	72	79	95	106	104	91	74	66	60
Sat	59	58	58	59	59	61	67	68	64	65	64	64	63	61	61	61	58
Sun	58	57	57	58	58	60	66	74	79	79	78	66	63	63	62	61	59

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	58	59	59	60	61	63	63	65	67	76	96	108	111	96	73	62	61
Tue	58	59	60	60	61	61	61	62	65	73	94	112	116	97	78	66	60
Wed	59	58	59	60	61	60	62	62	65	73	90	105	113	99	81	64	59
Thu	59	60	61	63	65	65	64	67	70	75	95	114	112	94	78	66	59
Fri	59	60	59	61	61	67	67	69	72	79	95	106	104	91	74	66	60
Sat	59	58	58	59	59	61	67	68	64	65	64	64	63	61	61	61	58
Sun	58	57	57	58	58	60	66	74	79	79	78	66	63	63	62	61	59