Best Time to Drive from Palmdale to Carson

Right now (9:06 pm PST): about 80 minutes via I-405 South and SR-14 South, usually 76 at this time.

Only 5% 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 Carson 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	81	102	102	93	85	84	88	93	100	114	113	111	107	88	82	80	77
Tue	82	106	124	114	91	87	90	121	142	156	190	179	144	108	90	81	77
Wed	88	91	102	105	87	85	92	116	152	184	180	187	153	116	97	83	76
Thu	87	107	110	102	87	90	98	112	148	171	158	155	140	126	103	84	77
Fri	79	85	87	85	84	89	107	131	145	135	127	134	130	113	100	85	76
Sat	78	79	80	80	82	84	89	95	101	104	100	96	89	85	84	81	77
Sun	77	77	78	78	79	81	84	87	88	89	87	87	86	87	86	82	76

About this drive

On weekdays the 77-mile drive from Palmdale to Carson (via I-405 South and SR-14 South) usually takes as little as 76 minutes and up to 193 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 125 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (106 minutes).

About 66 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 11 miles surface streets (15 to 18 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palmdale to central Carson 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 Carson?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 76 minutes then, versus up to 193 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 77-mile drive usually takes 76 to 193 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 125 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palmdale to Carson?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 193 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (37 miles) · SR-14 South in Los Angeles (25 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carson 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	81	102	102	93	85	84	88	93	100	114	113	111	107	88	82	80	77
Tue	82	106	124	114	91	87	90	121	142	156	190	179	144	108	90	81	77
Wed	88	91	102	105	87	85	92	116	152	184	180	187	153	116	97	83	76
Thu	87	107	110	102	87	90	98	112	148	171	158	155	140	126	103	84	77
Fri	79	85	87	85	84	89	107	131	145	135	127	134	130	113	100	85	76
Sat	78	79	80	80	82	84	89	95	101	104	100	96	89	85	84	81	77
Sun	77	77	78	78	79	81	84	87	88	89	87	87	86	87	86	82	76

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	102	102	93	85	84	88	93	100	114	113	111	107	88	82	80	77
Tue	82	106	124	114	91	87	90	121	142	156	190	179	144	108	90	81	77
Wed	88	91	102	105	87	85	92	116	152	184	180	187	153	116	97	83	76
Thu	87	107	110	102	87	90	98	112	148	171	158	155	140	126	103	84	77
Fri	79	85	87	85	84	89	107	131	145	135	127	134	130	113	100	85	76
Sat	78	79	80	80	82	84	89	95	101	104	100	96	89	85	84	81	77
Sun	77	77	78	78	79	81	84	87	88	89	87	87	86	87	86	82	76

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	81	102	102	93	85	84	88	93	100	114	113	111	107	88	82	80	77
Tue	82	106	124	114	91	87	90	121	142	156	190	179	144	108	90	81	77
Wed	88	91	102	105	87	85	92	116	152	184	180	187	153	116	97	83	76
Thu	87	107	110	102	87	90	98	112	148	171	158	155	140	126	103	84	77
Fri	79	85	87	85	84	89	107	131	145	135	127	134	130	113	100	85	76
Sat	78	79	80	80	82	84	89	95	101	104	100	96	89	85	84	81	77
Sun	77	77	78	78	79	81	84	87	88	89	87	87	86	87	86	82	76