Best Time to Drive from Northridge to Palmdale

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 51 minutes via SR-14 North, usually 48 at this time.

Only 16% 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 Northridge 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	48	47	48	47	49	52	54	56	54	60	54	57	57	56	54	51	49
Tue	47	48	48	47	48	49	49	50	50	51	52	55	59	62	56	54	50
Wed	47	47	47	47	48	48	50	50	51	51	52	54	53	55	52	51	47
Thu	48	48	48	52	51	52	52	54	55	53	60	68	67	60	60	54	48
Fri	48	49	48	48	49	55	58	59	61	61	60	62	62	61	61	56	50
Sat	48	48	47	48	49	51	59	62	55	58	53	51	51	49	49	50	48
Sun	48	47	47	47	48	48	54	64	72	74	76	59	51	48	48	49	48

About this drive

On weekdays the 48-mile drive from Northridge to Palmdale (via SR-14 North) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 68 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 10 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Sundays (76 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (14 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northridge 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 Northridge to Palmdale?

On weekdays, leave before 10 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 68 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Northridge to Palmdale?

The 48-mile drive usually takes 46 to 68 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to Palmdale?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 68 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-14 North in Los Angeles (26 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (6 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (5 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palmdale to Northridge (return trip) · Northridge to Los Angeles · Northridge to Rancho Cucamonga · Northridge to Long Beach · Northridge to Anaheim · Northridge to Riverside · Northridge to Santa Ana · Northridge to Irvine · Northridge to Fontana · Northridge to Oxnard · Northridge to Huntington Beach · Northridge to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	47	48	47	49	52	54	56	54	60	54	57	57	56	54	51	49
Tue	47	48	48	47	48	49	49	50	50	51	52	55	59	62	56	54	50
Wed	47	47	47	47	48	48	50	50	51	51	52	54	53	55	52	51	47
Thu	48	48	48	52	51	52	52	54	55	53	60	68	67	60	60	54	48
Fri	48	49	48	48	49	55	58	59	61	61	60	62	62	61	61	56	50
Sat	48	48	47	48	49	51	59	62	55	58	53	51	51	49	49	50	48
Sun	48	47	47	47	48	48	54	64	72	74	76	59	51	48	48	49	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	47	48	47	49	52	54	56	54	60	54	57	57	56	54	51	49
Tue	47	48	48	47	48	49	49	50	50	51	52	55	59	62	56	54	50
Wed	47	47	47	47	48	48	50	50	51	51	52	54	53	55	52	51	47
Thu	48	48	48	52	51	52	52	54	55	53	60	68	67	60	60	54	48
Fri	48	49	48	48	49	55	58	59	61	61	60	62	62	61	61	56	50
Sat	48	48	47	48	49	51	59	62	55	58	53	51	51	49	49	50	48
Sun	48	47	47	47	48	48	54	64	72	74	76	59	51	48	48	49	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	47	48	47	49	52	54	56	54	60	54	57	57	56	54	51	49
Tue	47	48	48	47	48	49	49	50	50	51	52	55	59	62	56	54	50
Wed	47	47	47	47	48	48	50	50	51	51	52	54	53	55	52	51	47
Thu	48	48	48	52	51	52	52	54	55	53	60	68	67	60	60	54	48
Fri	48	49	48	48	49	55	58	59	61	61	60	62	62	61	61	56	50
Sat	48	48	47	48	49	51	59	62	55	58	53	51	51	49	49	50	48
Sun	48	47	47	47	48	48	54	64	72	74	76	59	51	48	48	49	48