Best Time to Drive from Downey to Altadena

Right now (12:49 am PDT): about 31 minutes via I-5 North and SR-2 East.

Only 15% 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 Downey to Altadena 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	30	37	48	50	49	46	44	43	43	42	41	42	41	38	37	32	30
Tue	30	38	46	51	49	50	43	42	41	41	41	41	40	38	38	34	30
Wed	30	38	45	48	49	47	44	42	41	41	40	40	41	39	39	35	31
Thu	30	37	45	50	50	47	43	43	42	41	40	41	41	39	39	37	32
Fri	30	37	43	45	46	44	43	42	43	42	41	41	41	39	39	38	32
Sat	31	31	32	33	37	42	45	41	43	43	43	42	43	42	42	39	32
Sun	31	30	31	31	31	34	39	41	42	44	44	44	42	42	42	39	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from Downey to Altadena (via I-5 North and SR-2 East) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 52 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 42 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (45 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (9 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Downey to central Altadena 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 Downey to Altadena?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 52 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 31-mile drive usually takes 30 to 52 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 42 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Downey to Altadena?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 52 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (14 miles) · SR-2 East in Los Angeles (9 miles) · I-210 East in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Altadena to Downey (return trip) · Downey to Los Angeles · Downey to Santa Monica · Downey to Long Beach · Downey to West Covina · Downey to Burbank · Downey to Glendale · Downey to Santa Clarita · Downey to Van Nuys · Downey to LAX · Downey to Hollywood · Downey to Culver City

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	37	48	50	49	46	44	43	43	42	41	42	41	38	37	32	30
Tue	30	38	46	51	49	50	43	42	41	41	41	41	40	38	38	34	30
Wed	30	38	45	48	49	47	44	42	41	41	40	40	41	39	39	35	31
Thu	30	37	45	50	50	47	43	43	42	41	40	41	41	39	39	37	32
Fri	30	37	43	45	46	44	43	42	43	42	41	41	41	39	39	38	32
Sat	31	31	32	33	37	42	45	41	43	43	43	42	43	42	42	39	32
Sun	31	30	31	31	31	34	39	41	42	44	44	44	42	42	42	39	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	37	48	50	49	46	44	43	43	42	41	42	41	38	37	32	30
Tue	30	38	46	51	49	50	43	42	41	41	41	41	40	38	38	34	30
Wed	30	38	45	48	49	47	44	42	41	41	40	40	41	39	39	35	31
Thu	30	37	45	50	50	47	43	43	42	41	40	41	41	39	39	37	32
Fri	30	37	43	45	46	44	43	42	43	42	41	41	41	39	39	38	32
Sat	31	31	32	33	37	42	45	41	43	43	43	42	43	42	42	39	32
Sun	31	30	31	31	31	34	39	41	42	44	44	44	42	42	42	39	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	37	48	50	49	46	44	43	43	42	41	42	41	38	37	32	30
Tue	30	38	46	51	49	50	43	42	41	41	41	41	40	38	38	34	30
Wed	30	38	45	48	49	47	44	42	41	41	40	40	41	39	39	35	31
Thu	30	37	45	50	50	47	43	43	42	41	40	41	41	39	39	37	32
Fri	30	37	43	45	46	44	43	42	43	42	41	41	41	39	39	38	32
Sat	31	31	32	33	37	42	45	41	43	43	43	42	43	42	42	39	32
Sun	31	30	31	31	31	34	39	41	42	44	44	44	42	42	42	39	33