Best Time to Drive from Palmdale to Carson

Right now (6:53 pm PDT): about 102 minutes via I-405 South and SR-14 South, usually 79 at this time.

Only 12% 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	85	122	116	96	84	83	83	86	82	86	81	79	79	80	79	78	77
Tue	95	146	134	107	86	81	81	81	81	81	81	81	82	81	83	82	79
Wed	92	93	95	97	84	80	80	81	82	82	82	81	80	83	83	82	77
Thu	101	150	127	91	80	80	79	83	81	81	79	79	78	78	79	83	79
Fri	82	88	84	82	82	85	82	80	80	81	81	81	81	81	81	84	77
Sat	80	83	82	81	82	81	83	87	84	81	83	82	81	79	79	79	77
Sun	77	78	79	77	80	81	80	81	81	82	81	82	83	83	84	82	78

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 77 minutes and up to 157 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are after 9 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 82 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (87 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 20 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 after 9 am. The drive usually takes about 77 minutes then, versus up to 157 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 77-mile drive usually takes 77 to 157 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 82 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palmdale to Carson?

Leaving around 5:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 157 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	85	122	116	96	84	83	83	86	82	86	81	79	79	80	79	78	77
Tue	95	146	134	107	86	81	81	81	81	81	81	81	82	81	83	82	79
Wed	92	93	95	97	84	80	80	81	82	82	82	81	80	83	83	82	77
Thu	101	150	127	91	80	80	79	83	81	81	79	79	78	78	79	83	79
Fri	82	88	84	82	82	85	82	80	80	81	81	81	81	81	81	84	77
Sat	80	83	82	81	82	81	83	87	84	81	83	82	81	79	79	79	77
Sun	77	78	79	77	80	81	80	81	81	82	81	82	83	83	84	82	78

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	85	122	116	96	84	83	83	86	82	86	81	79	79	80	79	78	77
Tue	95	146	134	107	86	81	81	81	81	81	81	81	82	81	83	82	79
Wed	92	93	95	97	84	80	80	81	82	82	82	81	80	83	83	82	77
Thu	101	150	127	91	80	80	79	83	81	81	79	79	78	78	79	83	79
Fri	82	88	84	82	82	85	82	80	80	81	81	81	81	81	81	84	77
Sat	80	83	82	81	82	81	83	87	84	81	83	82	81	79	79	79	77
Sun	77	78	79	77	80	81	80	81	81	82	81	82	83	83	84	82	78

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	85	122	116	96	84	83	83	86	82	86	81	79	79	80	79	78	77
Tue	95	146	134	107	86	81	81	81	81	81	81	81	82	81	83	82	79
Wed	92	93	95	97	84	80	80	81	82	82	82	81	80	83	83	82	77
Thu	101	150	127	91	80	80	79	83	81	81	79	79	78	78	79	83	79
Fri	82	88	84	82	82	85	82	80	80	81	81	81	81	81	81	84	77
Sat	80	83	82	81	82	81	83	87	84	81	83	82	81	79	79	79	77
Sun	77	78	79	77	80	81	80	81	81	82	81	82	83	83	84	82	78