Best Time to Drive from Santa Clarita to East Los Angeles

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 44 minutes via I-5 South, usually 40 at this time.

Only 28% 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 East Los Angeles 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	35	43	54	57	48	45	45	43	44	47	47	49	48	44	39	37	35
Tue	34	47	64	74	58	49	45	44	44	49	52	54	56	49	41	38	36
Wed	34	41	46	53	55	47	45	45	46	50	52	54	56	51	42	38	35
Thu	35	44	62	65	54	47	45	45	48	52	55	58	59	51	42	40	36
Fri	35	42	45	48	46	45	48	51	54	57	55	55	55	49	44	42	38
Sat	36	37	38	39	43	45	49	50	53	52	53	49	50	48	44	42	36
Sun	35	35	36	35	37	40	43	47	49	50	50	49	44	45	43	42	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Santa Clarita to East Los Angeles (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 74 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 47 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (54 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Clarita to central East Los Angeles 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 East Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 74 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Clarita to East Los Angeles?

The 38-mile drive usually takes 34 to 74 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 47 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clarita to East Los Angeles?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 74 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (31 miles) · SR-14 South in Los Angeles (2 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

East Los Angeles 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	35	43	54	57	48	45	45	43	44	47	47	49	48	44	39	37	35
Tue	34	47	64	74	58	49	45	44	44	49	52	54	56	49	41	38	36
Wed	34	41	46	53	55	47	45	45	46	50	52	54	56	51	42	38	35
Thu	35	44	62	65	54	47	45	45	48	52	55	58	59	51	42	40	36
Fri	35	42	45	48	46	45	48	51	54	57	55	55	55	49	44	42	38
Sat	36	37	38	39	43	45	49	50	53	52	53	49	50	48	44	42	36
Sun	35	35	36	35	37	40	43	47	49	50	50	49	44	45	43	42	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	43	54	57	48	45	45	43	44	47	47	49	48	44	39	37	35
Tue	34	47	64	74	58	49	45	44	44	49	52	54	56	49	41	38	36
Wed	34	41	46	53	55	47	45	45	46	50	52	54	56	51	42	38	35
Thu	35	44	62	65	54	47	45	45	48	52	55	58	59	51	42	40	36
Fri	35	42	45	48	46	45	48	51	54	57	55	55	55	49	44	42	38
Sat	36	37	38	39	43	45	49	50	53	52	53	49	50	48	44	42	36
Sun	35	35	36	35	37	40	43	47	49	50	50	49	44	45	43	42	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	43	54	57	48	45	45	43	44	47	47	49	48	44	39	37	35
Tue	34	47	64	74	58	49	45	44	44	49	52	54	56	49	41	38	36
Wed	34	41	46	53	55	47	45	45	46	50	52	54	56	51	42	38	35
Thu	35	44	62	65	54	47	45	45	48	52	55	58	59	51	42	40	36
Fri	35	42	45	48	46	45	48	51	54	57	55	55	55	49	44	42	38
Sat	36	37	38	39	43	45	49	50	53	52	53	49	50	48	44	42	36
Sun	35	35	36	35	37	40	43	47	49	50	50	49	44	45	43	42	37