Traffic Predict
When to Leave for LAX: Drive Times by Time of Day
How long it usually takes to drive to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on a weekday, by the time you leave, from 38 cities. The slowest in the table: from Santa Barbara at 5 pm, about 180 minutes.
Plan to reach the airport about 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one; the columns on the right give the latest time to leave to be at the curb by 7 am or 5 pm on a normal weekday.
Driving to LAX
Typical Tuesday drive times from our freeway sensors, from the city centre to the terminals; weekends are usually faster, Friday afternoons slower. Crashes and weather are not included.
Leaving LAX
| To | 6 am | 8 am | noon | 5 pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | 36 min | 53 min | 36 min | 35 min |
| Arcadia | 40 min | 42 min | 41 min | 58 min |
| Azusa | 44 min | 61 min | 55 min | 96 min |
| Burbank | 51 min | 75 min | 63 min | 69 min |
| Claremont | 50 min | 71 min | 64 min | 106 min |
| Corona | 57 min | 71 min | 58 min | 62 min |
| Downey | 22 min | 26 min | 26 min | 57 min |
| El Monte | 35 min | 60 min | 48 min | 84 min |
| Glendale | 50 min | 78 min | 64 min | 70 min |
| Huntington Beach | 43 min | 53 min | 51 min | 157 min |
| Irvine | 42 min | 60 min | 46 min | 129 min |
| Long Beach | 22 min | 28 min | 26 min | 125 min |
| Los Angeles | 26 min | 32 min | 26 min | 51 min |
| Mission Viejo | 52 min | 69 min | 56 min | 139 min |
| Ontario | 54 min | 76 min | 69 min | 111 min |
| Oxnard | 79 min | 86 min | 85 min | 116 min |
| Palm Springs | 124 min | 146 min | 143 min | 190 min |
| Pasadena | 33 min | 34 min | 33 min | 37 min |
| Pomona | 49 min | 71 min | 63 min | 104 min |
| Porter Ranch | 43 min | 49 min | 47 min | 85 min |
| Rancho Cucamonga | 59 min | 81 min | 74 min | 116 min |
| Riverside | 69 min | 86 min | 73 min | 82 min |
| San Bernardino | 74 min | 97 min | 91 min | 136 min |
| San Diego | 124 min | 143 min | 123 min | 201 min |
| Santa Ana | 45 min | 65 min | 43 min | 46 min |
| Santa Barbara | 126 min | 122 min | 124 min | 147 min |
| Santa Clarita | 50 min | 57 min | 55 min | 100 min |
| Santa Monica | 23 min | 28 min | 26 min | 27 min |
| Simi Valley | 51 min | 58 min | 57 min | 111 min |
| Temecula | 95 min | 108 min | 94 min | 108 min |
| Thousand Oaks | 44 min | 52 min | 51 min | 102 min |
| Torrance | 16 min | 20 min | 19 min | 88 min |
| Van Nuys | 32 min | 38 min | 35 min | 57 min |
| Ventura | 75 min | 84 min | 82 min | 113 min |
| West Covina | 37 min | 57 min | 49 min | 88 min |
| Whittier | 30 min | 54 min | 44 min | 79 min |
Questions
How early should I leave for LAX?
Aim to reach LAX about 2 hours before a domestic flight (3 hours for international). The table above gives the latest time to leave from each city to be there by 7 am or 5 pm on a normal weekday; allow extra time on Friday afternoons, holidays and rainy days.
How long does it take to drive from Anaheim to LAX?
On a weekday it usually takes about 34 minutes leaving at 6 am and about 39 minutes leaving at 5 pm.