Best Time to Drive from Palmdale to Santa Ana

Right now (7:32 pm PDT): about 105 minutes via I-5 South, usually 125 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 Santa Ana 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	106	133	136	140	126	124	133	131	146	159	178	173	161	145	130	108	100
Tue	107	133	146	158	142	134	132	137	151	183	192	186	173	153	140	118	100
Wed	106	137	150	170	146	132	134	139	154	176	188	184	175	164	141	116	99
Thu	105	132	148	166	150	146	149	154	180	185	196	189	173	159	145	116	101
Fri	104	125	139	147	141	135	137	153	185	195	193	187	172	164	141	127	105
Sat	100	102	105	111	124	134	142	152	160	170	166	163	153	150	133	131	107
Sun	99	102	104	101	105	118	127	140	148	152	152	145	136	132	129	127	110

About this drive

On weekdays the 84-mile drive from Palmdale to Santa Ana (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 99 minutes and up to 198 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 155 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (170 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 41 miles surface streets (61 to 123 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palmdale to central Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 99 minutes then, versus up to 198 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Palmdale to Santa Ana?

The 84-mile drive usually takes 99 to 198 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 155 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palmdale to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 198 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (15 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 · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Ana to Palmdale (return trip) · Palmdale to Los Angeles · Palmdale to Long Beach · Palmdale to Anaheim · Palmdale to Riverside

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	106	133	136	140	126	124	133	131	146	159	178	173	161	145	130	108	100
Tue	107	133	146	158	142	134	132	137	151	183	192	186	173	153	140	118	100
Wed	106	137	150	170	146	132	134	139	154	176	188	184	175	164	141	116	99
Thu	105	132	148	166	150	146	149	154	180	185	196	189	173	159	145	116	101
Fri	104	125	139	147	141	135	137	153	185	195	193	187	172	164	141	127	105
Sat	100	102	105	111	124	134	142	152	160	170	166	163	153	150	133	131	107
Sun	99	102	104	101	105	118	127	140	148	152	152	145	136	132	129	127	110

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	106	133	136	140	126	124	133	131	146	159	178	173	161	145	130	108	100
Tue	107	133	146	158	142	134	132	137	151	183	192	186	173	153	140	118	100
Wed	106	137	150	170	146	132	134	139	154	176	188	184	175	164	141	116	99
Thu	105	132	148	166	150	146	149	154	180	185	196	189	173	159	145	116	101
Fri	104	125	139	147	141	135	137	153	185	195	193	187	172	164	141	127	105
Sat	100	102	105	111	124	134	142	152	160	170	166	163	153	150	133	131	107
Sun	99	102	104	101	105	118	127	140	148	152	152	145	136	132	129	127	110

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	106	133	136	140	126	124	133	131	146	159	178	173	161	145	130	108	100
Tue	107	133	146	158	142	134	132	137	151	183	192	186	173	153	140	118	100
Wed	106	137	150	170	146	132	134	139	154	176	188	184	175	164	141	116	99
Thu	105	132	148	166	150	146	149	154	180	185	196	189	173	159	145	116	101
Fri	104	125	139	147	141	135	137	153	185	195	193	187	172	164	141	127	105
Sat	100	102	105	111	124	134	142	152	160	170	166	163	153	150	133	131	107
Sun	99	102	104	101	105	118	127	140	148	152	152	145	136	132	129	127	110