Best Time to Drive from Whittier to Santa Clarita

Right now (4:18 pm PDT): about 105 minutes via I-5 North, usually 97 at this time.

Only 11% 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 Whittier to Santa Clarita 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	54	75	82	84	83	78	84	84	89	82	101	106	95	87	80	59	53
Tue	52	67	82	94	85	83	77	80	76	88	105	106	97	90	84	68	53
Wed	52	67	84	94	88	80	77	76	76	93	106	108	98	93	87	66	53
Thu	53	67	81	93	86	80	85	85	91	88	106	110	100	92	89	69	56
Fri	52	65	81	92	91	81	79	83	90	98	102	99	94	91	91	78	55
Sat	52	53	54	57	71	79	87	86	88	95	101	99	90	89	84	72	59
Sun	53	52	52	52	54	63	70	79	83	89	96	85	84	85	82	74	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 48-mile drive from Whittier to Santa Clarita (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 52 minutes and up to 110 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 84 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (101 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 12 miles surface streets (20 to 48 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Whittier (Painter Avenue) to central Santa Clarita (Newhall 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 Whittier to Santa Clarita?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 52 minutes then, versus up to 110 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 48-mile drive usually takes 52 to 110 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 84 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Whittier to Santa Clarita?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 110 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (36 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clarita to Whittier (return trip) · Whittier to Santa Monica · Whittier to Long Beach · Whittier to West Covina · Whittier to Burbank · Whittier to Van Nuys · Whittier to Torrance · Whittier to LAX · Whittier to Culver City · Whittier to Thousand Oaks · Whittier to Oxnard · Whittier to Irvine

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	75	82	84	83	78	84	84	89	82	101	106	95	87	80	59	53
Tue	52	67	82	94	85	83	77	80	76	88	105	106	97	90	84	68	53
Wed	52	67	84	94	88	80	77	76	76	93	106	108	98	93	87	66	53
Thu	53	67	81	93	86	80	85	85	91	88	106	110	100	92	89	69	56
Fri	52	65	81	92	91	81	79	83	90	98	102	99	94	91	91	78	55
Sat	52	53	54	57	71	79	87	86	88	95	101	99	90	89	84	72	59
Sun	53	52	52	52	54	63	70	79	83	89	96	85	84	85	82	74	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	75	82	84	83	78	84	84	89	82	101	106	95	87	80	59	53
Tue	52	67	82	94	85	83	77	80	76	88	105	106	97	90	84	68	53
Wed	52	67	84	94	88	80	77	76	76	93	106	108	98	93	87	66	53
Thu	53	67	81	93	86	80	85	85	91	88	106	110	100	92	89	69	56
Fri	52	65	81	92	91	81	79	83	90	98	102	99	94	91	91	78	55
Sat	52	53	54	57	71	79	87	86	88	95	101	99	90	89	84	72	59
Sun	53	52	52	52	54	63	70	79	83	89	96	85	84	85	82	74	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	75	82	84	83	78	84	84	89	82	101	106	95	87	80	59	53
Tue	52	67	82	94	85	83	77	80	76	88	105	106	97	90	84	68	53
Wed	52	67	84	94	88	80	77	76	76	93	106	108	98	93	87	66	53
Thu	53	67	81	93	86	80	85	85	91	88	106	110	100	92	89	69	56
Fri	52	65	81	92	91	81	79	83	90	98	102	99	94	91	91	78	55
Sat	52	53	54	57	71	79	87	86	88	95	101	99	90	89	84	72	59
Sun	53	52	52	52	54	63	70	79	83	89	96	85	84	85	82	74	58