Best Time to Drive from Altadena to East Los Angeles

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 31 minutes via I-5 South and SR-134 West and SR-2 West, usually 30 at this time.

Only 8% 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 East Los Angeles 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	23	28	31	32	31	30	30	29	30	33	35	38	38	35	27	29	25
Tue	23	27	33	35	34	34	31	30	30	34	40	46	43	36	30	29	24
Wed	23	27	34	33	34	33	32	31	32	35	40	41	41	37	31	30	25
Thu	23	26	32	33	34	33	32	33	32	38	43	44	44	38	30	30	26
Fri	24	27	32	33	33	30	32	34	36	41	41	43	42	37	32	32	26
Sat	24	25	27	26	28	30	32	32	36	39	38	37	41	37	32	33	26
Sun	24	26	28	25	25	27	30	33	34	35	33	33	32	34	30	32	26

About this drive

On weekdays the 22-mile drive from Altadena to East Los Angeles (via I-5 South and SR-134 West and SR-2 West) usually takes as little as 23 minutes and up to 46 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 32 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 17 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Altadena to central East Los Angeles 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 East Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am. The drive usually takes about 23 minutes then, versus up to 46 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Altadena to East Los Angeles?

The 22-mile drive usually takes 23 to 46 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 32 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Altadena to East Los Angeles?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 46 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 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

East Los Angeles 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	23	28	31	32	31	30	30	29	30	33	35	38	38	35	27	29	25
Tue	23	27	33	35	34	34	31	30	30	34	40	46	43	36	30	29	24
Wed	23	27	34	33	34	33	32	31	32	35	40	41	41	37	31	30	25
Thu	23	26	32	33	34	33	32	33	32	38	43	44	44	38	30	30	26
Fri	24	27	32	33	33	30	32	34	36	41	41	43	42	37	32	32	26
Sat	24	25	27	26	28	30	32	32	36	39	38	37	41	37	32	33	26
Sun	24	26	28	25	25	27	30	33	34	35	33	33	32	34	30	32	26

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	23	28	31	32	31	30	30	29	30	33	35	38	38	35	27	29	25
Tue	23	27	33	35	34	34	31	30	30	34	40	46	43	36	30	29	24
Wed	23	27	34	33	34	33	32	31	32	35	40	41	41	37	31	30	25
Thu	23	26	32	33	34	33	32	33	32	38	43	44	44	38	30	30	26
Fri	24	27	32	33	33	30	32	34	36	41	41	43	42	37	32	32	26
Sat	24	25	27	26	28	30	32	32	36	39	38	37	41	37	32	33	26
Sun	24	26	28	25	25	27	30	33	34	35	33	33	32	34	30	32	26

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	23	28	31	32	31	30	30	29	30	33	35	38	38	35	27	29	25
Tue	23	27	33	35	34	34	31	30	30	34	40	46	43	36	30	29	24
Wed	23	27	34	33	34	33	32	31	32	35	40	41	41	37	31	30	25
Thu	23	26	32	33	34	33	32	33	32	38	43	44	44	38	30	30	26
Fri	24	27	32	33	33	30	32	34	36	41	41	43	42	37	32	32	26
Sat	24	25	27	26	28	30	32	32	36	39	38	37	41	37	32	33	26
Sun	24	26	28	25	25	27	30	33	34	35	33	33	32	34	30	32	26