Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Buena Park to Downey
Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 17 minutes via I-5 North, usually 19 at this time.
Only 40% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 12 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
| Tue | 12 | 12 | 15 | 21 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 16 | 13 | 12 |
| Wed | 12 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 16 | 14 | 12 |
| Thu | 12 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 16 | 13 | 12 |
| Fri | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 12 |
| Sat | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
| Sun | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 12-mile drive from Buena Park to Downey (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 12 minutes and up to 26 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 16 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (17 minutes).
About 9 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Buena Park 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 Buena Park to Downey?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 12 minutes then, versus up to 26 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Buena Park to Downey?
The 12-mile drive usually takes 12 to 26 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 16 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Buena Park to Downey?
Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 26 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 North in Orange County (9 miles)
Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow
More drives
Downey to Buena Park (return trip) · Buena Park to Los Angeles · Buena Park to Long Beach · Buena Park to Anaheim · Buena Park to Riverside · Buena Park to Santa Ana · Buena Park to Irvine · Buena Park to San Bernardino · Buena Park to Fontana · Buena Park to Moreno Valley · Buena Park to Glendale · Buena Park to Santa Clarita