Best Time to Drive from Altadena to Long Beach

Right now (5:03 pm PDT): about 62 minutes via I-710 South and I-5 South, usually 82 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Long Beach 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	39	48	52	53	49	51	53	50	52	60	70	77	75	61	46	46	40
Tue	39	45	55	53	51	56	54	53	54	62	78	87	83	68	49	45	40
Wed	39	45	57	53	51	53	54	54	58	67	79	82	82	72	53	48	41
Thu	39	46	55	52	52	55	55	58	60	71	82	85	83	71	51	48	42
Fri	40	45	55	55	54	51	56	61	66	75	79	83	80	64	50	51	43
Sat	40	42	44	45	49	55	58	57	61	62	63	60	61	57	50	52	42
Sun	40	42	44	41	43	49	51	59	58	61	54	59	53	55	49	49	43

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from Altadena to Long Beach (via I-710 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 87 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 58 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (64 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (9 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Altadena to downtown Long Beach 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 Long Beach?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 87 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Altadena to Long Beach?

The 41-mile drive usually takes 39 to 87 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 58 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Altadena to Long Beach?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 87 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-710 South in Los Angeles (18 miles) · 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

Long Beach to Altadena (return trip) · Altadena to Los Angeles

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	48	52	53	49	51	53	50	52	60	70	77	75	61	46	46	40
Tue	39	45	55	53	51	56	54	53	54	62	78	87	83	68	49	45	40
Wed	39	45	57	53	51	53	54	54	58	67	79	82	82	72	53	48	41
Thu	39	46	55	52	52	55	55	58	60	71	82	85	83	71	51	48	42
Fri	40	45	55	55	54	51	56	61	66	75	79	83	80	64	50	51	43
Sat	40	42	44	45	49	55	58	57	61	62	63	60	61	57	50	52	42
Sun	40	42	44	41	43	49	51	59	58	61	54	59	53	55	49	49	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	48	52	53	49	51	53	50	52	60	70	77	75	61	46	46	40
Tue	39	45	55	53	51	56	54	53	54	62	78	87	83	68	49	45	40
Wed	39	45	57	53	51	53	54	54	58	67	79	82	82	72	53	48	41
Thu	39	46	55	52	52	55	55	58	60	71	82	85	83	71	51	48	42
Fri	40	45	55	55	54	51	56	61	66	75	79	83	80	64	50	51	43
Sat	40	42	44	45	49	55	58	57	61	62	63	60	61	57	50	52	42
Sun	40	42	44	41	43	49	51	59	58	61	54	59	53	55	49	49	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	48	52	53	49	51	53	50	52	60	70	77	75	61	46	46	40
Tue	39	45	55	53	51	56	54	53	54	62	78	87	83	68	49	45	40
Wed	39	45	57	53	51	53	54	54	58	67	79	82	82	72	53	48	41
Thu	39	46	55	52	52	55	55	58	60	71	82	85	83	71	51	48	42
Fri	40	45	55	55	54	51	56	61	66	75	79	83	80	64	50	51	43
Sat	40	42	44	45	49	55	58	57	61	62	63	60	61	57	50	52	42
Sun	40	42	44	41	43	49	51	59	58	61	54	59	53	55	49	49	43