Best Time to Drive from Altadena to Downey

Right now (12:49 am PDT): about 30 minutes via I-5 South and SR-134 West.

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 Altadena to Downey 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	31	37	41	41	40	40	43	42	45	50	64	73	68	61	41	37	32
Tue	30	36	47	48	43	45	42	41	43	54	73	85	78	66	49	39	31
Wed	30	36	48	46	44	43	42	41	43	52	60	63	61	55	46	40	32
Thu	30	35	46	45	43	46	45	47	49	63	75	80	79	68	45	41	33
Fri	31	35	44	47	43	40	43	47	56	70	76	77	76	64	49	44	33
Sat	31	32	35	35	39	41	45	45	52	58	58	56	58	52	44	44	34
Sun	31	34	36	33	32	36	40	47	48	51	48	48	46	46	42	45	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Altadena to Downey (via I-5 South and SR-134 West) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 85 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm 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 3 pm on Saturdays (58 minutes).

About 22 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (10 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Altadena to central Downey 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 Altadena to Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 85 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Altadena to Downey?

The 29-mile drive usually takes 30 to 85 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 47 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Altadena to Downey?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 85 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (14 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (5 miles) · SR-2 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey to Altadena (return trip) · Altadena to Los Angeles · Altadena to Long Beach · Altadena to Anaheim · Altadena to Riverside · Altadena to Santa Ana · Altadena to Irvine · Altadena to San Bernardino · Altadena to Fontana · Altadena to Oxnard · Altadena to Moreno Valley · Altadena to Huntington Beach

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	37	41	41	40	40	43	42	45	50	64	73	68	61	41	37	32
Tue	30	36	47	48	43	45	42	41	43	54	73	85	78	66	49	39	31
Wed	30	36	48	46	44	43	42	41	43	52	60	63	61	55	46	40	32
Thu	30	35	46	45	43	46	45	47	49	63	75	80	79	68	45	41	33
Fri	31	35	44	47	43	40	43	47	56	70	76	77	76	64	49	44	33
Sat	31	32	35	35	39	41	45	45	52	58	58	56	58	52	44	44	34
Sun	31	34	36	33	32	36	40	47	48	51	48	48	46	46	42	45	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	37	41	41	40	40	43	42	45	50	64	73	68	61	41	37	32
Tue	30	36	47	48	43	45	42	41	43	54	73	85	78	66	49	39	31
Wed	30	36	48	46	44	43	42	41	43	52	60	63	61	55	46	40	32
Thu	30	35	46	45	43	46	45	47	49	63	75	80	79	68	45	41	33
Fri	31	35	44	47	43	40	43	47	56	70	76	77	76	64	49	44	33
Sat	31	32	35	35	39	41	45	45	52	58	58	56	58	52	44	44	34
Sun	31	34	36	33	32	36	40	47	48	51	48	48	46	46	42	45	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	37	41	41	40	40	43	42	45	50	64	73	68	61	41	37	32
Tue	30	36	47	48	43	45	42	41	43	54	73	85	78	66	49	39	31
Wed	30	36	48	46	44	43	42	41	43	52	60	63	61	55	46	40	32
Thu	30	35	46	45	43	46	45	47	49	63	75	80	79	68	45	41	33
Fri	31	35	44	47	43	40	43	47	56	70	76	77	76	64	49	44	33
Sat	31	32	35	35	39	41	45	45	52	58	58	56	58	52	44	44	34
Sun	31	34	36	33	32	36	40	47	48	51	48	48	46	46	42	45	34