Best Time to Drive from Carson to Sylmar

Right now (7:35 pm PDT): about 47 minutes via I-405 North, usually 48 at this time.

Only 7% 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 Carson to Sylmar 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	56	76	74	70	64	59	60	61	73	93	103	91	66	47	43	40
Tue	39	57	109	107	86	76	69	58	60	68	90	102	92	72	51	43	40
Wed	39	58	110	112	90	73	64	58	60	69	92	103	98	81	56	45	41
Thu	40	63	108	108	92	79	70	60	62	70	94	106	96	78	53	43	41
Fri	39	62	103	91	71	65	73	70	70	82	91	92	80	61	47	44	41
Sat	41	41	42	43	48	62	63	62	67	70	65	62	62	49	53	45	40
Sun	41	40	41	42	42	45	50	58	68	69	68	54	48	45	45	46	41

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Carson to Sylmar (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 117 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 65 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (72 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.7 miles surface streets (2 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carson to central Sylmar 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 Carson to Sylmar?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 117 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Carson to Sylmar?

The 44-mile drive usually takes 39 to 117 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 65 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carson to Sylmar?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 117 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (37 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (2 miles) · I-110 North in Los Angeles (1.8 miles) · I-210 East in Los Angeles (1.5 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Sylmar to Carson (return trip) · Carson to Los Angeles · Carson to Long Beach · Carson to Anaheim · Carson to Riverside · Carson to Santa Ana · Carson to Irvine · Carson to Buena Park · Carson to San Bernardino · Carson to Fontana · Carson to Oxnard · Carson to Moreno Valley

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	56	76	74	70	64	59	60	61	73	93	103	91	66	47	43	40
Tue	39	57	109	107	86	76	69	58	60	68	90	102	92	72	51	43	40
Wed	39	58	110	112	90	73	64	58	60	69	92	103	98	81	56	45	41
Thu	40	63	108	108	92	79	70	60	62	70	94	106	96	78	53	43	41
Fri	39	62	103	91	71	65	73	70	70	82	91	92	80	61	47	44	41
Sat	41	41	42	43	48	62	63	62	67	70	65	62	62	49	53	45	40
Sun	41	40	41	42	42	45	50	58	68	69	68	54	48	45	45	46	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	56	76	74	70	64	59	60	61	73	93	103	91	66	47	43	40
Tue	39	57	109	107	86	76	69	58	60	68	90	102	92	72	51	43	40
Wed	39	58	110	112	90	73	64	58	60	69	92	103	98	81	56	45	41
Thu	40	63	108	108	92	79	70	60	62	70	94	106	96	78	53	43	41
Fri	39	62	103	91	71	65	73	70	70	82	91	92	80	61	47	44	41
Sat	41	41	42	43	48	62	63	62	67	70	65	62	62	49	53	45	40
Sun	41	40	41	42	42	45	50	58	68	69	68	54	48	45	45	46	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	56	76	74	70	64	59	60	61	73	93	103	91	66	47	43	40
Tue	39	57	109	107	86	76	69	58	60	68	90	102	92	72	51	43	40
Wed	39	58	110	112	90	73	64	58	60	69	92	103	98	81	56	45	41
Thu	40	63	108	108	92	79	70	60	62	70	94	106	96	78	53	43	41
Fri	39	62	103	91	71	65	73	70	70	82	91	92	80	61	47	44	41
Sat	41	41	42	43	48	62	63	62	67	70	65	62	62	49	53	45	40
Sun	41	40	41	42	42	45	50	58	68	69	68	54	48	45	45	46	41