Best Time to Drive from Downey to Sherman Oaks

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 42 minutes via I-5 North and SR-134 West, usually 43 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 Downey to Sherman Oaks 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	28	36	51	53	50	46	43	42	42	44	46	51	61	48	36	30	28
Tue	28	37	49	57	52	51	44	43	40	44	48	58	62	50	39	32	28
Wed	28	36	48	51	50	49	44	42	41	44	47	60	68	56	42	33	29
Thu	28	35	47	53	52	47	43	42	41	45	50	59	67	52	40	36	29
Fri	28	35	42	46	48	43	43	43	45	46	49	52	50	45	41	38	30
Sat	28	28	29	32	35	42	46	43	47	46	46	46	46	45	45	41	30
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	32	39	42	44	46	47	49	44	43	43	39	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Downey to Sherman Oaks (via I-5 North and SR-134 West) usually takes as little as 28 minutes and up to 68 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Sundays (49 minutes).

About 27 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 12 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Downey to central Sherman Oaks 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 Sherman Oaks?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 68 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Downey to Sherman Oaks?

The 30-mile drive usually takes 28 to 68 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Downey to Sherman Oaks?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 68 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (18 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Sherman Oaks 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	28	36	51	53	50	46	43	42	42	44	46	51	61	48	36	30	28
Tue	28	37	49	57	52	51	44	43	40	44	48	58	62	50	39	32	28
Wed	28	36	48	51	50	49	44	42	41	44	47	60	68	56	42	33	29
Thu	28	35	47	53	52	47	43	42	41	45	50	59	67	52	40	36	29
Fri	28	35	42	46	48	43	43	43	45	46	49	52	50	45	41	38	30
Sat	28	28	29	32	35	42	46	43	47	46	46	46	46	45	45	41	30
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	32	39	42	44	46	47	49	44	43	43	39	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	36	51	53	50	46	43	42	42	44	46	51	61	48	36	30	28
Tue	28	37	49	57	52	51	44	43	40	44	48	58	62	50	39	32	28
Wed	28	36	48	51	50	49	44	42	41	44	47	60	68	56	42	33	29
Thu	28	35	47	53	52	47	43	42	41	45	50	59	67	52	40	36	29
Fri	28	35	42	46	48	43	43	43	45	46	49	52	50	45	41	38	30
Sat	28	28	29	32	35	42	46	43	47	46	46	46	46	45	45	41	30
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	32	39	42	44	46	47	49	44	43	43	39	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	36	51	53	50	46	43	42	42	44	46	51	61	48	36	30	28
Tue	28	37	49	57	52	51	44	43	40	44	48	58	62	50	39	32	28
Wed	28	36	48	51	50	49	44	42	41	44	47	60	68	56	42	33	29
Thu	28	35	47	53	52	47	43	42	41	45	50	59	67	52	40	36	29
Fri	28	35	42	46	48	43	43	43	45	46	49	52	50	45	41	38	30
Sat	28	28	29	32	35	42	46	43	47	46	46	46	46	45	45	41	30
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	32	39	42	44	46	47	49	44	43	43	39	31