Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Palmdale

Right now (10:56 pm PDT): about 88 minutes via I-5 North and SR-14 North.

Only 21% 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 Santa Ana to Palmdale 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	85	96	106	113	113	107	106	105	109	108	115	117	114	107	97	91	89
Tue	85	99	106	114	111	107	102	102	102	106	113	123	122	110	103	92	87
Wed	85	96	103	107	109	104	102	102	103	106	116	120	119	111	101	92	86
Thu	86	97	109	113	113	106	107	107	106	110	123	129	122	113	104	95	87
Fri	85	96	101	104	107	106	107	109	112	113	122	120	119	118	108	97	86
Sat	86	87	89	90	94	104	109	104	108	106	105	106	104	103	104	96	87
Sun	85	85	85	86	87	95	107	116	119	123	113	105	103	105	104	98	88

About this drive

On weekdays the 94-mile drive from Santa Ana to Palmdale (via I-5 North and SR-14 North) usually takes as little as 85 minutes and up to 129 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 106 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (123 minutes).

About 86 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (9 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Ana to central Palmdale 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 Santa Ana to Palmdale?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 85 minutes then, versus up to 129 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 94-mile drive usually takes 85 to 129 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 106 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Palmdale?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 129 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (40 miles) · SR-14 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (20 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Palmdale to Santa Ana (return trip) · Santa Ana to Los Angeles · Santa Ana to Santa Monica · Santa Ana to Pasadena · Santa Ana to Long Beach · Santa Ana to West Covina · Santa Ana to Burbank · Santa Ana to Glendale · Santa Ana to Santa Clarita · Santa Ana to Van Nuys · Santa Ana to Torrance · Santa Ana to LAX

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	85	96	106	113	113	107	106	105	109	108	115	117	114	107	97	91	89
Tue	85	99	106	114	111	107	102	102	102	106	113	123	122	110	103	92	87
Wed	85	96	103	107	109	104	102	102	103	106	116	120	119	111	101	92	86
Thu	86	97	109	113	113	106	107	107	106	110	123	129	122	113	104	95	87
Fri	85	96	101	104	107	106	107	109	112	113	122	120	119	118	108	97	86
Sat	86	87	89	90	94	104	109	104	108	106	105	106	104	103	104	96	87
Sun	85	85	85	86	87	95	107	116	119	123	113	105	103	105	104	98	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	85	96	106	113	113	107	106	105	109	108	115	117	114	107	97	91	89
Tue	85	99	106	114	111	107	102	102	102	106	113	123	122	110	103	92	87
Wed	85	96	103	107	109	104	102	102	103	106	116	120	119	111	101	92	86
Thu	86	97	109	113	113	106	107	107	106	110	123	129	122	113	104	95	87
Fri	85	96	101	104	107	106	107	109	112	113	122	120	119	118	108	97	86
Sat	86	87	89	90	94	104	109	104	108	106	105	106	104	103	104	96	87
Sun	85	85	85	86	87	95	107	116	119	123	113	105	103	105	104	98	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	85	96	106	113	113	107	106	105	109	108	115	117	114	107	97	91	89
Tue	85	99	106	114	111	107	102	102	102	106	113	123	122	110	103	92	87
Wed	85	96	103	107	109	104	102	102	103	106	116	120	119	111	101	92	86
Thu	86	97	109	113	113	106	107	107	106	110	123	129	122	113	104	95	87
Fri	85	96	101	104	107	106	107	109	112	113	122	120	119	118	108	97	86
Sat	86	87	89	90	94	104	109	104	108	106	105	106	104	103	104	96	87
Sun	85	85	85	86	87	95	107	116	119	123	113	105	103	105	104	98	88