Best Time to Drive from Santa Clarita to Downey

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 58 minutes via I-5 South, usually 62 at this time.

Only 15% 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 Clarita to Downey 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	45	56	69	70	60	60	58	59	61	69	77	81	76	67	52	46	44
Tue	43	62	83	87	71	62	59	58	60	74	84	93	85	75	59	50	45
Wed	42	55	66	71	70	59	58	58	61	72	76	79	78	72	58	51	44
Thu	43	58	80	81	67	61	59	62	66	81	89	94	92	78	56	52	45
Fri	43	55	64	65	62	59	62	67	80	88	88	86	88	71	59	54	48
Sat	45	46	47	49	57	59	65	66	74	74	74	68	68	62	58	54	44
Sun	44	44	44	44	46	51	57	63	68	70	70	67	60	60	56	54	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Santa Clarita to Downey (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 42 minutes and up to 94 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 65 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (74 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (11 to 24 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Clarita (Newhall Avenue) to central Downey (Downey Avenue) 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 Clarita to Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 42 minutes then, versus up to 94 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Clarita to Downey?

The 44-mile drive usually takes 42 to 94 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 65 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clarita to Downey?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 94 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (35 miles) · SR-14 South in Los Angeles (1.6 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey to Santa Clarita (return trip) · Santa Clarita to Los Angeles · Santa Clarita to Santa Monica · Santa Clarita to Pasadena · Santa Clarita to Long Beach · Santa Clarita to West Covina · Santa Clarita to Burbank · Santa Clarita to Glendale · Santa Clarita to Van Nuys · Santa Clarita to Torrance · Santa Clarita to LAX · Santa Clarita 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	45	56	69	70	60	60	58	59	61	69	77	81	76	67	52	46	44
Tue	43	62	83	87	71	62	59	58	60	74	84	93	85	75	59	50	45
Wed	42	55	66	71	70	59	58	58	61	72	76	79	78	72	58	51	44
Thu	43	58	80	81	67	61	59	62	66	81	89	94	92	78	56	52	45
Fri	43	55	64	65	62	59	62	67	80	88	88	86	88	71	59	54	48
Sat	45	46	47	49	57	59	65	66	74	74	74	68	68	62	58	54	44
Sun	44	44	44	44	46	51	57	63	68	70	70	67	60	60	56	54	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	56	69	70	60	60	58	59	61	69	77	81	76	67	52	46	44
Tue	43	62	83	87	71	62	59	58	60	74	84	93	85	75	59	50	45
Wed	42	55	66	71	70	59	58	58	61	72	76	79	78	72	58	51	44
Thu	43	58	80	81	67	61	59	62	66	81	89	94	92	78	56	52	45
Fri	43	55	64	65	62	59	62	67	80	88	88	86	88	71	59	54	48
Sat	45	46	47	49	57	59	65	66	74	74	74	68	68	62	58	54	44
Sun	44	44	44	44	46	51	57	63	68	70	70	67	60	60	56	54	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	56	69	70	60	60	58	59	61	69	77	81	76	67	52	46	44
Tue	43	62	83	87	71	62	59	58	60	74	84	93	85	75	59	50	45
Wed	42	55	66	71	70	59	58	58	61	72	76	79	78	72	58	51	44
Thu	43	58	80	81	67	61	59	62	66	81	89	94	92	78	56	52	45
Fri	43	55	64	65	62	59	62	67	80	88	88	86	88	71	59	54	48
Sat	45	46	47	49	57	59	65	66	74	74	74	68	68	62	58	54	44
Sun	44	44	44	44	46	51	57	63	68	70	70	67	60	60	56	54	46