Best Time to Drive from Palm Springs to LAX

Right now (1:20 pm PST): about 142 minutes via I-10 West, usually 137 at this time.

Only 17% 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 124-mile drive from Palm Springs to LAX (via I-10 West) usually takes as little as 119 minutes and up to 161 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 131 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (132 minutes).

About 110 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 14 miles surface streets (21 to 28 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palm Springs (East Alejo Road) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 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 Palm Springs to LAX?

On weekdays, leave after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 119 minutes then, versus up to 161 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Palm Springs to LAX?

The 124-mile drive usually takes 119 to 161 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 131 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palm Springs to LAX?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 161 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 West in Inland Empire (57 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (18 miles) · I-105 West in Los Angeles (17 miles) · I-605 South in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-605 South in Orange County (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

Palm Springs to LAX over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

LAX to Palm Springs (return trip) · Palm Springs to Mission Viejo · Palm Springs to Riverside · Palm Springs to San Bernardino · Palm Springs to Ontario · Palm Springs to Corona · Palm Springs to Los Angeles · Palm Springs to Irvine · Palm Springs to ONT · Palm Springs to Claremont · Palm Springs to Rancho Cucamonga · Palm Springs to Fontana

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