Best Time to Drive from Riverside to Palm Springs

Right now (11:37 am PST): about 62 minutes via I-10 East and SR-60 East, usually 61 at this time.

Only 17% 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 Riverside to Palm Springs 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	57	58	58	58	58	59	60	60	61	62	60	61	65	69	64	63	60
Tue	57	59	58	57	59	60	60	61	62	62	61	61	66	68	64	61	60
Wed	57	58	58	58	59	60	60	61	61	61	61	62	65	67	62	60	59
Thu	57	59	59	58	59	60	60	61	61	60	61	61	64	66	63	61	59
Fri	57	59	58	58	58	60	60	61	62	62	63	62	65	67	65	63	59
Sat	57	58	58	58	58	59	59	60	61	62	62	60	60	60	60	59	58
Sun	57	58	58	58	58	58	59	59	60	60	60	59	60	59	60	60	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 54-mile drive from Riverside to Palm Springs (via I-10 East and SR-60 East) usually takes as little as 57 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 6 pm on Mondays. The fastest times to leave are before 4:30 pm or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 61 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (63 minutes).

About 41 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 13 miles surface streets (20 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Riverside to central Palm Springs (East Alejo Road) 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 Riverside to Palm Springs?

On weekdays, leave before 4:30 pm or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 57 minutes then, versus up to 69 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Riverside to Palm Springs?

The 54-mile drive usually takes 57 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Riverside to Palm Springs?

Leaving around 6 pm on Mondays is usually slowest, about 69 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-60 East in Inland Empire (17 miles) · I-10 East in Inland Empire (13 miles) · I-215 South in Inland Empire (5 miles) · SR-91 East in Inland Empire (1.3 miles)

Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

Riverside to Palm Springs over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Palm Springs to Riverside (return trip) · Riverside to Los Angeles · Riverside to Santa Monica · Riverside to Pasadena · Riverside to Long Beach · Riverside to West Covina · Riverside to Burbank · Riverside to Glendale · Riverside to Van Nuys · Riverside to Torrance · Riverside to LAX · Riverside to Hollywood

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	58	58	58	58	59	60	60	61	62	60	61	65	69	64	63	60
Tue	57	59	58	57	59	60	60	61	62	62	61	61	66	68	64	61	60
Wed	57	58	58	58	59	60	60	61	61	61	61	62	65	67	62	60	59
Thu	57	59	59	58	59	60	60	61	61	60	61	61	64	66	63	61	59
Fri	57	59	58	58	58	60	60	61	62	62	63	62	65	67	65	63	59
Sat	57	58	58	58	58	59	59	60	61	62	62	60	60	60	60	59	58
Sun	57	58	58	58	58	58	59	59	60	60	60	59	60	59	60	60	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	58	58	58	58	59	60	60	61	62	60	61	65	69	64	63	60
Tue	57	59	58	57	59	60	60	61	62	62	61	61	66	68	64	61	60
Wed	57	58	58	58	59	60	60	61	61	61	61	62	65	67	62	60	59
Thu	57	59	59	58	59	60	60	61	61	60	61	61	64	66	63	61	59
Fri	57	59	58	58	58	60	60	61	62	62	63	62	65	67	65	63	59
Sat	57	58	58	58	58	59	59	60	61	62	62	60	60	60	60	59	58
Sun	57	58	58	58	58	58	59	59	60	60	60	59	60	59	60	60	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	58	58	58	58	59	60	60	61	62	60	61	65	69	64	63	60
Tue	57	59	58	57	59	60	60	61	62	62	61	61	66	68	64	61	60
Wed	57	58	58	58	59	60	60	61	61	61	61	62	65	67	62	60	59
Thu	57	59	59	58	59	60	60	61	61	60	61	61	64	66	63	61	59
Fri	57	59	58	58	58	60	60	61	62	62	63	62	65	67	65	63	59
Sat	57	58	58	58	58	59	59	60	61	62	62	60	60	60	60	59	58
Sun	57	58	58	58	58	58	59	59	60	60	60	59	60	59	60	60	58