Origin
Oban, CA
Evening in Oban on Friday
Local time
6:38 PM
PDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Oban, CA to Palmdale, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
16.8 mi
27 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Oban, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Palmdale, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Oban, CA to Palmdale, CA covers 16.8 miles and takes about 20m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on West Avenue D, West Palmdale Boulevard, CA 138 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 1.3 miles on West Avenue D. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Palmdale, CA
Full guide →Palmdale is a city in the far north of Los Angeles County in the Antelope Valley region of the Mojave Desert in Southern California.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 16.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (1%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 20m drive with frequent turns across 16.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 7 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
West Avenue D is the longest continuous segment at about 1.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 5 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near West Avenue D.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 16.8 miles you will encounter 5 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (West Avenue D): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.4 miles (CA 138): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Avenue D
Turn left onto West Avenue D
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
1.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
15.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
CA 138
Take the exit onto CA 138 toward CA 138 East: Palmdale Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 35
Toward CA 138 East: Palmdale Boulevard
8
15.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
CA 138
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 138 toward CA 138 East: Palmdale Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 138 East: Palmdale Boulevard
5
15.7 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
CA 138 / West Palmdale Boulevard
Turn left onto CA 138 / West Palmdale Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| West Avenue D | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| West Palmdale Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| CA 138 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Sierra Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Palmdale Boulevard | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
West Avenue D
— 1.3 mi, about 1m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Oban, CA and Palmdale, CA.
1
Start on US 6 Hist
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Sierra Highway
2
Turn left onto West Avenue D
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
West Avenue D
Use the left lane.
3
Take the exit
14 mi
·
15 min
Use the left lane.
4
Take the exit onto CA 138
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
CA 138
Exit 35
Toward CA 138 East: Palmdale Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 138
194 ft
·
9 sec
·
CA 138
Toward CA 138 East: Palmdale Boulevard
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6
Turn left onto CA 138
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
West Palmdale Boulevard
Use the left lane.
7
Arrive at destination
CA 138
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.86 one way
$7.72 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.98 | $7.96 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.09 | $8.17 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.71 | $7.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.76 | $0.81 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Palmdale, CA
Evening in Palmdale on Friday
Local time
6:38 PM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
36 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
20m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Oban, CA to Palmdale, CA covers 16.8 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are West Avenue D, West Palmdale Boulevard, CA 138. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.4 miles from Oban, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.86 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 16.8 miles you will encounter 5 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (West Avenue D): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.4 miles (CA 138): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Oban, CA to Palmdale, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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