Best Time to Drive from Palmdale to Van Nuys

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via SR-14 South and I-405 South, usually 56 at this time.

Only 19% 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 Van Nuys 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	56	72	72	63	57	57	58	62	56	61	56	54	53	53	53	54	53
Tue	58	75	78	71	58	55	55	55	55	56	55	55	55	55	56	56	53
Wed	73	58	57	58	56	55	55	54	55	54	54	54	54	54	55	57	53
Thu	70	85	77	61	55	55	54	58	57	56	55	53	53	53	53	57	53
Fri	55	59	57	56	55	57	55	54	54	55	54	54	55	55	54	58	53
Sat	53	55	55	54	54	54	54	56	56	54	55	54	54	53	53	55	53
Sun	52	53	53	53	53	54	54	55	54	55	55	55	55	55	56	56	53

About this drive

On weekdays the 48-mile drive from Palmdale to Van Nuys (via SR-14 South and I-405 South) usually takes as little as 53 minutes and up to 93 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 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (56 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 12 miles surface streets (16 to 23 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palmdale to central Van Nuys 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 Van Nuys?

On weekdays, leave after 9 am. The drive usually takes about 53 minutes then, versus up to 93 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Palmdale to Van Nuys?

The 48-mile drive usually takes 53 to 93 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palmdale to Van Nuys?

Leaving around 5:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 93 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-14 South in Los Angeles (25 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (7 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Van Nuys 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	56	72	72	63	57	57	58	62	56	61	56	54	53	53	53	54	53
Tue	58	75	78	71	58	55	55	55	55	56	55	55	55	55	56	56	53
Wed	73	58	57	58	56	55	55	54	55	54	54	54	54	54	55	57	53
Thu	70	85	77	61	55	55	54	58	57	56	55	53	53	53	53	57	53
Fri	55	59	57	56	55	57	55	54	54	55	54	54	55	55	54	58	53
Sat	53	55	55	54	54	54	54	56	56	54	55	54	54	53	53	55	53
Sun	52	53	53	53	53	54	54	55	54	55	55	55	55	55	56	56	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	72	72	63	57	57	58	62	56	61	56	54	53	53	53	54	53
Tue	58	75	78	71	58	55	55	55	55	56	55	55	55	55	56	56	53
Wed	73	58	57	58	56	55	55	54	55	54	54	54	54	54	55	57	53
Thu	70	85	77	61	55	55	54	58	57	56	55	53	53	53	53	57	53
Fri	55	59	57	56	55	57	55	54	54	55	54	54	55	55	54	58	53
Sat	53	55	55	54	54	54	54	56	56	54	55	54	54	53	53	55	53
Sun	52	53	53	53	53	54	54	55	54	55	55	55	55	55	56	56	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	72	72	63	57	57	58	62	56	61	56	54	53	53	53	54	53
Tue	58	75	78	71	58	55	55	55	55	56	55	55	55	55	56	56	53
Wed	73	58	57	58	56	55	55	54	55	54	54	54	54	54	55	57	53
Thu	70	85	77	61	55	55	54	58	57	56	55	53	53	53	53	57	53
Fri	55	59	57	56	55	57	55	54	54	55	54	54	55	55	54	58	53
Sat	53	55	55	54	54	54	54	56	56	54	55	54	54	53	53	55	53
Sun	52	53	53	53	53	54	54	55	54	55	55	55	55	55	56	56	53