Best Time to Drive from Brea to Downey

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 32 minutes via I-5 North, usually 28 at this time.

Only 10% 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 Brea 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	26	27	36	42	37	32	31	32	32	35	40	39	37	35	29	27	26
Tue	26	28	40	46	43	33	33	33	34	37	43	44	43	39	32	28	26
Wed	26	28	39	45	42	34	32	33	32	34	41	44	44	38	31	28	26
Thu	26	28	39	45	41	34	34	33	34	35	42	44	44	37	30	28	26
Fri	26	28	33	35	32	32	33	32	34	38	44	43	42	38	32	28	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	31	32	33	33	31	28	28	27
Sun	26	27	27	27	27	27	28	29	28	28	29	28	28	28	28	28	27

About this drive

On weekdays the 20-mile drive from Brea to Downey (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 48 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (34 minutes).

About 10 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (18 to 36 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Brea 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 Brea to Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 48 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 20-mile drive usually takes 26 to 48 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Brea to Downey?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 48 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (10 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey to Brea (return trip) · Brea to Los Angeles · Brea to San Diego · Brea to Long Beach · Brea to Anaheim · Brea to Riverside · Brea to Santa Ana · Brea to Irvine · Brea to San Bernardino · Brea to Fontana · Brea to Moreno Valley · Brea 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	26	27	36	42	37	32	31	32	32	35	40	39	37	35	29	27	26
Tue	26	28	40	46	43	33	33	33	34	37	43	44	43	39	32	28	26
Wed	26	28	39	45	42	34	32	33	32	34	41	44	44	38	31	28	26
Thu	26	28	39	45	41	34	34	33	34	35	42	44	44	37	30	28	26
Fri	26	28	33	35	32	32	33	32	34	38	44	43	42	38	32	28	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	31	32	33	33	31	28	28	27
Sun	26	27	27	27	27	27	28	29	28	28	29	28	28	28	28	28	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	27	36	42	37	32	31	32	32	35	40	39	37	35	29	27	26
Tue	26	28	40	46	43	33	33	33	34	37	43	44	43	39	32	28	26
Wed	26	28	39	45	42	34	32	33	32	34	41	44	44	38	31	28	26
Thu	26	28	39	45	41	34	34	33	34	35	42	44	44	37	30	28	26
Fri	26	28	33	35	32	32	33	32	34	38	44	43	42	38	32	28	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	31	32	33	33	31	28	28	27
Sun	26	27	27	27	27	27	28	29	28	28	29	28	28	28	28	28	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	27	36	42	37	32	31	32	32	35	40	39	37	35	29	27	26
Tue	26	28	40	46	43	33	33	33	34	37	43	44	43	39	32	28	26
Wed	26	28	39	45	42	34	32	33	32	34	41	44	44	38	31	28	26
Thu	26	28	39	45	41	34	34	33	34	35	42	44	44	37	30	28	26
Fri	26	28	33	35	32	32	33	32	34	38	44	43	42	38	32	28	26
Sat	26	27	27	27	28	28	29	29	29	31	32	33	33	31	28	28	27
Sun	26	27	27	27	27	27	28	29	28	28	29	28	28	28	28	28	27