Best Time to Drive from Downey to Sherman Oaks

Right now (3:21 pm PST): about 46 minutes via I-5 North and SR-134 West, usually 69 at this time.

Only 9% 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	27	37	66	68	67	59	54	53	56	60	69	71	63	51	43	31	28
Tue	27	41	62	71	67	65	54	53	50	65	74	70	59	49	46	35	28
Wed	27	39	59	64	66	61	55	54	53	61	70	66	61	49	48	38	29
Thu	27	38	59	63	69	60	53	54	57	68	73	71	63	50	47	45	30
Fri	28	35	52	59	59	54	54	57	65	74	71	69	63	52	54	48	31
Sat	29	29	29	34	38	54	59	61	69	69	67	69	65	63	62	53	32
Sun	28	28	29	29	29	36	49	56	62	64	66	64	60	58	57	48	35

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 27 minutes and up to 74 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 57 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (69 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 11 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 27 minutes then, versus up to 74 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 27 to 74 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 57 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Downey to Sherman Oaks?

Leaving around 3 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 74 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	27	37	66	68	67	59	54	53	56	60	69	71	63	51	43	31	28
Tue	27	41	62	71	67	65	54	53	50	65	74	70	59	49	46	35	28
Wed	27	39	59	64	66	61	55	54	53	61	70	66	61	49	48	38	29
Thu	27	38	59	63	69	60	53	54	57	68	73	71	63	50	47	45	30
Fri	28	35	52	59	59	54	54	57	65	74	71	69	63	52	54	48	31
Sat	29	29	29	34	38	54	59	61	69	69	67	69	65	63	62	53	32
Sun	28	28	29	29	29	36	49	56	62	64	66	64	60	58	57	48	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	37	66	68	67	59	54	53	56	60	69	71	63	51	43	31	28
Tue	27	41	62	71	67	65	54	53	50	65	74	70	59	49	46	35	28
Wed	27	39	59	64	66	61	55	54	53	61	70	66	61	49	48	38	29
Thu	27	38	59	63	69	60	53	54	57	68	73	71	63	50	47	45	30
Fri	28	35	52	59	59	54	54	57	65	74	71	69	63	52	54	48	31
Sat	29	29	29	34	38	54	59	61	69	69	67	69	65	63	62	53	32
Sun	28	28	29	29	29	36	49	56	62	64	66	64	60	58	57	48	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	37	66	68	67	59	54	53	56	60	69	71	63	51	43	31	28
Tue	27	41	62	71	67	65	54	53	50	65	74	70	59	49	46	35	28
Wed	27	39	59	64	66	61	55	54	53	61	70	66	61	49	48	38	29
Thu	27	38	59	63	69	60	53	54	57	68	73	71	63	50	47	45	30
Fri	28	35	52	59	59	54	54	57	65	74	71	69	63	52	54	48	31
Sat	29	29	29	34	38	54	59	61	69	69	67	69	65	63	62	53	32
Sun	28	28	29	29	29	36	49	56	62	64	66	64	60	58	57	48	35