Traffic Predict
Is Los Angeles Traffic Getting Worse?
In 2026, weekday freeway congestion in Los Angeles was 8% better than in 2025 and 33% better than in 2016, measured as hours lost in stop-and-go traffic per 1,000 miles driven. Traffic volume per sensor was about the same as in 2025.
Year by year (weekdays)
| Year | Delay per 1,000 vehicle-miles | Change | Vehicles per sensor per day | Average speed | 5 pm speed | Sensors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 (partial) | 1.58 h | – | 93,037 | 57 mph | 49 mph | 1,750 |
| 2017 | 1.50 h | -5% | 93,648 | 57 mph | 50 mph | 1,770 |
| 2018 | 1.53 h | +2% | 93,420 | 57 mph | 49 mph | 1,793 |
| 2019 | 1.73 h | +13% | 92,591 | 56 mph | 47 mph | 1,804 |
| 2020 | 0.78 h | -55% | 82,691 | 59 mph | 53 mph | 1,811 |
| 2021 | 1.03 h | +32% | 87,360 | 57 mph | 50 mph | 1,832 |
| 2022 | 1.06 h | +3% | 86,855 | 57 mph | 49 mph | 1,830 |
| 2023 | 1.14 h | +8% | 85,732 | 57 mph | 48 mph | 1,828 |
| 2024 | 1.21 h | +6% | 85,619 | 57 mph | 48 mph | 1,814 |
| 2025 | 1.15 h | -4% | 85,176 | 57 mph | 48 mph | 1,816 |
| 2026 | 1.06 h | -8% | 85,478 | 57 mph | 48 mph | 1,834 |
Month by month
Freeway by freeway, 2016 vs 2026
| Freeway | 2016 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-5 North | 1.31 h | 0.95 h | -27% |
| I-5 South | 1.88 h | 1.66 h | -12% |
| I-10 East | 2.12 h | 1.62 h | -23% |
| I-10 West | 1.24 h | 0.76 h | -38% |
| I-105 East | 2.70 h | 0.58 h | -78% |
| I-105 West | 1.12 h | 0.68 h | -39% |
| I-110 North | 2.27 h | 1.65 h | -27% |
| I-110 South | 1.93 h | 1.21 h | -37% |
| I-210 East | 1.58 h | 0.90 h | -43% |
| I-210 West | 1.02 h | 1.23 h | +21% |
| I-405 North | 2.34 h | 1.36 h | -42% |
| I-405 South | 2.92 h | 2.00 h | -32% |
| I-605 North | 1.48 h | 0.72 h | -51% |
| I-605 South | 2.83 h | 2.51 h | -11% |
| I-710 North | 0.71 h | 0.39 h | -46% |
| I-710 South | 0.51 h | 1.39 h | +170% |
| SR-2 East | 0.05 h | 0.02 h | -66% |
| SR-2 West | 0.81 h | 0.13 h | -84% |
| SR-14 North | 0.52 h | 0.14 h | -74% |
| SR-14 South | 0.94 h | 0.64 h | -32% |
| SR-23 North | 0.50 h | 0.10 h | -80% |
| SR-23 South | 0.29 h | 0.03 h | -90% |
| SR-47 North | 0.30 h | 0.00 h | -100% |
| SR-47 South | 0.13 h | 0.09 h | -33% |
| SR-57 North | 0.98 h | 0.02 h | -98% |
| SR-57 South | 0.50 h | 1.31 h | +159% |
| SR-60 East | 1.57 h | 0.92 h | -41% |
| SR-60 West | 1.21 h | 0.63 h | -48% |
| SR-71 North | 0.63 h | 0.01 h | -98% |
| SR-71 South | 0.40 h | 0.02 h | -94% |
| SR-90 East | 0.00 h | 0.00 h | – |
| SR-90 West | 0.11 h | 0.00 h | -100% |
| SR-91 East | 3.36 h | 1.67 h | -50% |
| SR-91 West | 1.02 h | 0.43 h | -58% |
| SR-118 East | 0.44 h | 0.11 h | -74% |
| SR-118 West | 0.07 h | 0.01 h | -88% |
| SR-134 East | 2.01 h | 1.13 h | -43% |
| SR-134 West | 1.01 h | 0.51 h | -49% |
| SR-170 North | 0.57 h | 0.08 h | -87% |
| SR-170 South | 2.91 h | 0.00 h | -100% |
| US-101 North | 1.18 h | 0.73 h | -38% |
| US-101 South | 2.05 h | 1.29 h | -37% |
Weekday delay per 1,000 vehicle-miles on each freeway direction within Los Angeles.
How this is measured
Every hour, road sensors report how many vehicles passed and how fast they went. For each sensor we multiply the vehicles by the length of freeway it covers to get vehicle-miles, and count the extra time spent below 35 mph as delay. Dividing delay by miles driven gives a congestion measure that doesn't change just because sensors are added or retired. Only weekdays with at least 20 hours of data are used. Data: Caltrans PeMS.
See also: how rain slows Los Angeles traffic, by time of day and how hard it rains.