Best Time to Drive from Palmdale to Lakewood

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 122 minutes via I-5 South and SR-2 West, usually 113 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Lakewood 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	96	102	105	100	104	112	113	117	126	155	161	152	138	109	97	92	93
Tue	96	114	116	105	109	113	114	116	132	164	172	160	145	118	103	92	93
Wed	95	118	118	107	110	112	115	118	137	142	145	141	136	117	105	93	91
Thu	95	111	115	106	114	116	122	123	153	166	171	166	147	112	104	98	93
Fri	93	110	119	112	111	112	114	134	155	161	160	162	139	113	107	93	94
Sat	92	93	95	104	105	109	111	118	126	129	124	118	112	104	106	94	92
Sun	92	93	92	92	97	99	107	109	114	112	110	107	107	104	105	95	92

About this drive

On weekdays the 73-mile drive from Palmdale to Lakewood (via I-5 South and SR-2 West) usually takes as little as 91 minutes and up to 172 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 133 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (130 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 42 miles surface streets (64 to 76 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palmdale to central Lakewood 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 Lakewood?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 91 minutes then, versus up to 172 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 73-mile drive usually takes 91 to 172 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 133 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palmdale to Lakewood?

Leaving around 3 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 172 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (17 miles) · SR-2 West in Los Angeles (8 miles) · I-605 South in Orange County (5 miles) · I-210 West in Los Angeles (1.3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Lakewood 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	96	102	105	100	104	112	113	117	126	155	161	152	138	109	97	92	93
Tue	96	114	116	105	109	113	114	116	132	164	172	160	145	118	103	92	93
Wed	95	118	118	107	110	112	115	118	137	142	145	141	136	117	105	93	91
Thu	95	111	115	106	114	116	122	123	153	166	171	166	147	112	104	98	93
Fri	93	110	119	112	111	112	114	134	155	161	160	162	139	113	107	93	94
Sat	92	93	95	104	105	109	111	118	126	129	124	118	112	104	106	94	92
Sun	92	93	92	92	97	99	107	109	114	112	110	107	107	104	105	95	92

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	96	102	105	100	104	112	113	117	126	155	161	152	138	109	97	92	93
Tue	96	114	116	105	109	113	114	116	132	164	172	160	145	118	103	92	93
Wed	95	118	118	107	110	112	115	118	137	142	145	141	136	117	105	93	91
Thu	95	111	115	106	114	116	122	123	153	166	171	166	147	112	104	98	93
Fri	93	110	119	112	111	112	114	134	155	161	160	162	139	113	107	93	94
Sat	92	93	95	104	105	109	111	118	126	129	124	118	112	104	106	94	92
Sun	92	93	92	92	97	99	107	109	114	112	110	107	107	104	105	95	92

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	96	102	105	100	104	112	113	117	126	155	161	152	138	109	97	92	93
Tue	96	114	116	105	109	113	114	116	132	164	172	160	145	118	103	92	93
Wed	95	118	118	107	110	112	115	118	137	142	145	141	136	117	105	93	91
Thu	95	111	115	106	114	116	122	123	153	166	171	166	147	112	104	98	93
Fri	93	110	119	112	111	112	114	134	155	161	160	162	139	113	107	93	94
Sat	92	93	95	104	105	109	111	118	126	129	124	118	112	104	106	94	92
Sun	92	93	92	92	97	99	107	109	114	112	110	107	107	104	105	95	92