Best Time to Drive from Santa Clarita to Downey

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 60 minutes via I-5 South, usually 60 at this time.

Only 14% 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	57	67	69	61	60	59	59	61	69	78	82	79	68	53	47	44
Tue	43	63	82	86	70	62	57	57	61	73	85	94	86	77	60	50	44
Wed	42	54	66	74	70	58	58	56	60	67	74	77	73	68	58	51	45
Thu	43	56	75	71	66	62	60	62	66	79	87	91	90	78	57	53	45
Fri	43	54	60	63	60	57	60	66	77	87	86	88	89	72	60	55	46
Sat	44	46	47	50	54	57	60	62	66	68	68	65	67	62	58	54	45
Sun	44	44	44	44	46	51	58	64	67	69	68	65	62	62	58	56	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 Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 64 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (70 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 22 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 64 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clarita to Downey?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays 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

Santa Clarita to Downey over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

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	57	67	69	61	60	59	59	61	69	78	82	79	68	53	47	44
Tue	43	63	82	86	70	62	57	57	61	73	85	94	86	77	60	50	44
Wed	42	54	66	74	70	58	58	56	60	67	74	77	73	68	58	51	45
Thu	43	56	75	71	66	62	60	62	66	79	87	91	90	78	57	53	45
Fri	43	54	60	63	60	57	60	66	77	87	86	88	89	72	60	55	46
Sat	44	46	47	50	54	57	60	62	66	68	68	65	67	62	58	54	45
Sun	44	44	44	44	46	51	58	64	67	69	68	65	62	62	58	56	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	57	67	69	61	60	59	59	61	69	78	82	79	68	53	47	44
Tue	43	63	82	86	70	62	57	57	61	73	85	94	86	77	60	50	44
Wed	42	54	66	74	70	58	58	56	60	67	74	77	73	68	58	51	45
Thu	43	56	75	71	66	62	60	62	66	79	87	91	90	78	57	53	45
Fri	43	54	60	63	60	57	60	66	77	87	86	88	89	72	60	55	46
Sat	44	46	47	50	54	57	60	62	66	68	68	65	67	62	58	54	45
Sun	44	44	44	44	46	51	58	64	67	69	68	65	62	62	58	56	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	57	67	69	61	60	59	59	61	69	78	82	79	68	53	47	44
Tue	43	63	82	86	70	62	57	57	61	73	85	94	86	77	60	50	44
Wed	42	54	66	74	70	58	58	56	60	67	74	77	73	68	58	51	45
Thu	43	56	75	71	66	62	60	62	66	79	87	91	90	78	57	53	45
Fri	43	54	60	63	60	57	60	66	77	87	86	88	89	72	60	55	46
Sat	44	46	47	50	54	57	60	62	66	68	68	65	67	62	58	54	45
Sun	44	44	44	44	46	51	58	64	67	69	68	65	62	62	58	56	46