Best Time to Drive from Palmdale to East Los Angeles

Right now (5:17 pm PDT): about 101 minutes via I-5 South and SR-2 West, usually 166 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 East Los Angeles 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	84	109	125	130	128	123	121	119	124	137	136	146	141	134	106	98	84
Tue	85	104	134	135	141	145	132	128	130	143	165	169	169	136	112	102	83
Wed	83	104	131	135	143	133	134	131	136	147	168	175	172	160	122	106	84
Thu	84	104	129	131	139	140	127	135	136	161	172	172	171	150	123	109	85
Fri	85	105	127	130	131	126	131	134	160	168	168	168	168	154	119	118	93
Sat	84	87	93	93	114	133	144	143	154	163	166	159	161	159	136	143	92
Sun	83	90	94	85	89	107	119	137	144	148	142	143	132	130	122	124	96

About this drive

On weekdays the 58-mile drive from Palmdale to East Los Angeles (via I-5 South and SR-2 West) usually takes as little as 83 minutes and up to 175 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 136 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (166 minutes).

About 17 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 41 miles surface streets (66 to 153 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palmdale to central East Los Angeles 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 East Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 83 minutes then, versus up to 175 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Palmdale to East Los Angeles?

The 58-mile drive usually takes 83 to 175 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 136 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palmdale to East Los Angeles?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 175 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 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

East Los Angeles 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	84	109	125	130	128	123	121	119	124	137	136	146	141	134	106	98	84
Tue	85	104	134	135	141	145	132	128	130	143	165	169	169	136	112	102	83
Wed	83	104	131	135	143	133	134	131	136	147	168	175	172	160	122	106	84
Thu	84	104	129	131	139	140	127	135	136	161	172	172	171	150	123	109	85
Fri	85	105	127	130	131	126	131	134	160	168	168	168	168	154	119	118	93
Sat	84	87	93	93	114	133	144	143	154	163	166	159	161	159	136	143	92
Sun	83	90	94	85	89	107	119	137	144	148	142	143	132	130	122	124	96

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	84	109	125	130	128	123	121	119	124	137	136	146	141	134	106	98	84
Tue	85	104	134	135	141	145	132	128	130	143	165	169	169	136	112	102	83
Wed	83	104	131	135	143	133	134	131	136	147	168	175	172	160	122	106	84
Thu	84	104	129	131	139	140	127	135	136	161	172	172	171	150	123	109	85
Fri	85	105	127	130	131	126	131	134	160	168	168	168	168	154	119	118	93
Sat	84	87	93	93	114	133	144	143	154	163	166	159	161	159	136	143	92
Sun	83	90	94	85	89	107	119	137	144	148	142	143	132	130	122	124	96

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	84	109	125	130	128	123	121	119	124	137	136	146	141	134	106	98	84
Tue	85	104	134	135	141	145	132	128	130	143	165	169	169	136	112	102	83
Wed	83	104	131	135	143	133	134	131	136	147	168	175	172	160	122	106	84
Thu	84	104	129	131	139	140	127	135	136	161	172	172	171	150	123	109	85
Fri	85	105	127	130	131	126	131	134	160	168	168	168	168	154	119	118	93
Sat	84	87	93	93	114	133	144	143	154	163	166	159	161	159	136	143	92
Sun	83	90	94	85	89	107	119	137	144	148	142	143	132	130	122	124	96