Best Time to Drive from Palmdale to Buena Park

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 117 minutes via I-5 South and SR-2 West, usually 101 at this time.

Only 6% 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 Palmdale to Buena Park 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	92	95	100	96	98	103	103	105	107	117	123	117	112	97	93	89	88
Tue	91	100	105	101	104	107	106	105	110	124	128	124	115	103	95	88	88
Wed	91	102	106	102	105	107	108	108	115	118	118	117	113	103	97	90	88
Thu	91	99	104	103	107	108	110	111	119	128	129	127	118	102	97	94	90
Fri	90	99	105	103	104	104	106	113	121	124	124	125	116	101	99	90	89
Sat	89	90	91	97	99	101	101	105	108	109	108	105	102	97	99	90	89
Sun	89	90	89	89	93	94	99	99	102	102	101	98	98	96	97	91	88

About this drive

On weekdays the 72-mile drive from Palmdale to Buena Park (via I-5 South and SR-2 West) usually takes as little as 88 minutes and up to 130 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 113 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (110 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 40 miles surface streets (59 to 70 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palmdale to central Buena Park 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 Palmdale to Buena Park?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 88 minutes then, versus up to 130 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Palmdale to Buena Park?

The 72-mile drive usually takes 88 to 130 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 113 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palmdale to Buena Park?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 130 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · SR-2 West in Los Angeles (8 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (5 miles) · I-210 West in Los Angeles (1.3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Buena Park to Palmdale (return trip) · Palmdale to Los Angeles · Palmdale to Long Beach · Palmdale to Anaheim · Palmdale to Riverside · Palmdale to Santa Ana · Palmdale to Irvine · Palmdale to Oxnard · Palmdale to Moreno Valley · Palmdale to Huntington Beach · Palmdale to Glendale · Palmdale to Santa Clarita

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	92	95	100	96	98	103	103	105	107	117	123	117	112	97	93	89	88
Tue	91	100	105	101	104	107	106	105	110	124	128	124	115	103	95	88	88
Wed	91	102	106	102	105	107	108	108	115	118	118	117	113	103	97	90	88
Thu	91	99	104	103	107	108	110	111	119	128	129	127	118	102	97	94	90
Fri	90	99	105	103	104	104	106	113	121	124	124	125	116	101	99	90	89
Sat	89	90	91	97	99	101	101	105	108	109	108	105	102	97	99	90	89
Sun	89	90	89	89	93	94	99	99	102	102	101	98	98	96	97	91	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	92	95	100	96	98	103	103	105	107	117	123	117	112	97	93	89	88
Tue	91	100	105	101	104	107	106	105	110	124	128	124	115	103	95	88	88
Wed	91	102	106	102	105	107	108	108	115	118	118	117	113	103	97	90	88
Thu	91	99	104	103	107	108	110	111	119	128	129	127	118	102	97	94	90
Fri	90	99	105	103	104	104	106	113	121	124	124	125	116	101	99	90	89
Sat	89	90	91	97	99	101	101	105	108	109	108	105	102	97	99	90	89
Sun	89	90	89	89	93	94	99	99	102	102	101	98	98	96	97	91	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	92	95	100	96	98	103	103	105	107	117	123	117	112	97	93	89	88
Tue	91	100	105	101	104	107	106	105	110	124	128	124	115	103	95	88	88
Wed	91	102	106	102	105	107	108	108	115	118	118	117	113	103	97	90	88
Thu	91	99	104	103	107	108	110	111	119	128	129	127	118	102	97	94	90
Fri	90	99	105	103	104	104	106	113	121	124	124	125	116	101	99	90	89
Sat	89	90	91	97	99	101	101	105	108	109	108	105	102	97	99	90	89
Sun	89	90	89	89	93	94	99	99	102	102	101	98	98	96	97	91	88