Best Time to Drive from Palmdale to Downey

Right now (8:16 pm PST): about 98 minutes via I-5 South and SR-2 West, usually 86 at this time.

Only 3% 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 Downey 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	98	94	96	104	103	105	112	123	130	123	116	99	93	89	87
Tue	89	101	104	99	102	104	104	115	113	128	134	130	120	105	94	88	87
Wed	89	101	105	100	101	104	105	105	114	117	116	114	109	100	95	91	88
Thu	89	99	105	99	105	108	111	112	123	132	132	130	121	102	95	94	88
Fri	89	99	109	104	103	104	107	117	126	129	129	128	118	103	97	88	87
Sat	87	88	89	94	97	98	101	105	106	107	107	107	104	99	97	90	89
Sun	88	89	88	87	91	95	102	102	106	102	102	101	100	98	98	89	87

About this drive

On weekdays the 65-mile drive from Palmdale to Downey (via I-5 South and SR-2 West) usually takes as little as 86 minutes and up to 135 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 115 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (108 minutes).

About 23 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 42 miles surface streets (66 to 85 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palmdale to central Downey 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 Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 86 minutes then, versus up to 135 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 65-mile drive usually takes 86 to 135 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 115 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palmdale to Downey?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 135 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (14 miles) · SR-2 West in Los Angeles (8 miles) · I-210 West in Los Angeles (1.3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey 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	98	94	96	104	103	105	112	123	130	123	116	99	93	89	87
Tue	89	101	104	99	102	104	104	115	113	128	134	130	120	105	94	88	87
Wed	89	101	105	100	101	104	105	105	114	117	116	114	109	100	95	91	88
Thu	89	99	105	99	105	108	111	112	123	132	132	130	121	102	95	94	88
Fri	89	99	109	104	103	104	107	117	126	129	129	128	118	103	97	88	87
Sat	87	88	89	94	97	98	101	105	106	107	107	107	104	99	97	90	89
Sun	88	89	88	87	91	95	102	102	106	102	102	101	100	98	98	89	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	92	95	98	94	96	104	103	105	112	123	130	123	116	99	93	89	87
Tue	89	101	104	99	102	104	104	115	113	128	134	130	120	105	94	88	87
Wed	89	101	105	100	101	104	105	105	114	117	116	114	109	100	95	91	88
Thu	89	99	105	99	105	108	111	112	123	132	132	130	121	102	95	94	88
Fri	89	99	109	104	103	104	107	117	126	129	129	128	118	103	97	88	87
Sat	87	88	89	94	97	98	101	105	106	107	107	107	104	99	97	90	89
Sun	88	89	88	87	91	95	102	102	106	102	102	101	100	98	98	89	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	92	95	98	94	96	104	103	105	112	123	130	123	116	99	93	89	87
Tue	89	101	104	99	102	104	104	115	113	128	134	130	120	105	94	88	87
Wed	89	101	105	100	101	104	105	105	114	117	116	114	109	100	95	91	88
Thu	89	99	105	99	105	108	111	112	123	132	132	130	121	102	95	94	88
Fri	89	99	109	104	103	104	107	117	126	129	129	128	118	103	97	88	87
Sat	87	88	89	94	97	98	101	105	106	107	107	107	104	99	97	90	89
Sun	88	89	88	87	91	95	102	102	106	102	102	101	100	98	98	89	87