Best Time to Drive from Downey to Van Nuys

Right now (4:03 pm PDT): about 65 minutes via I-5 North and SR-134 West, usually 73 at this time.

Only 11% 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 Van Nuys 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	32	44	64	68	66	58	56	57	60	65	66	69	79	66	47	36	33
Tue	32	45	62	71	69	66	59	56	51	67	66	77	84	68	53	39	33
Wed	32	43	61	66	68	64	55	55	53	59	66	83	85	71	57	42	33
Thu	32	41	60	66	67	60	57	54	56	68	73	80	85	71	58	47	34
Fri	32	42	54	59	60	54	58	61	66	69	70	73	71	66	54	49	35
Sat	33	33	34	37	44	55	63	60	66	62	59	59	58	56	59	51	35
Sun	32	32	33	33	34	38	45	51	57	59	69	67	63	53	51	48	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Downey to Van Nuys (via I-5 North and SR-134 West) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 89 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 58 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Sundays (69 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (10 to 32 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Downey (Downey Avenue) to central Van Nuys (Haynes Street) 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 Van Nuys?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 89 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Downey to Van Nuys?

The 32-mile drive usually takes 32 to 89 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 58 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Downey to Van Nuys?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 89 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (12 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 miles) · I-710 North in Los Angeles (4 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Van Nuys 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 LAX · Downey to Hollywood · Downey to Culver City · Downey to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	44	64	68	66	58	56	57	60	65	66	69	79	66	47	36	33
Tue	32	45	62	71	69	66	59	56	51	67	66	77	84	68	53	39	33
Wed	32	43	61	66	68	64	55	55	53	59	66	83	85	71	57	42	33
Thu	32	41	60	66	67	60	57	54	56	68	73	80	85	71	58	47	34
Fri	32	42	54	59	60	54	58	61	66	69	70	73	71	66	54	49	35
Sat	33	33	34	37	44	55	63	60	66	62	59	59	58	56	59	51	35
Sun	32	32	33	33	34	38	45	51	57	59	69	67	63	53	51	48	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	44	64	68	66	58	56	57	60	65	66	69	79	66	47	36	33
Tue	32	45	62	71	69	66	59	56	51	67	66	77	84	68	53	39	33
Wed	32	43	61	66	68	64	55	55	53	59	66	83	85	71	57	42	33
Thu	32	41	60	66	67	60	57	54	56	68	73	80	85	71	58	47	34
Fri	32	42	54	59	60	54	58	61	66	69	70	73	71	66	54	49	35
Sat	33	33	34	37	44	55	63	60	66	62	59	59	58	56	59	51	35
Sun	32	32	33	33	34	38	45	51	57	59	69	67	63	53	51	48	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	44	64	68	66	58	56	57	60	65	66	69	79	66	47	36	33
Tue	32	45	62	71	69	66	59	56	51	67	66	77	84	68	53	39	33
Wed	32	43	61	66	68	64	55	55	53	59	66	83	85	71	57	42	33
Thu	32	41	60	66	67	60	57	54	56	68	73	80	85	71	58	47	34
Fri	32	42	54	59	60	54	58	61	66	69	70	73	71	66	54	49	35
Sat	33	33	34	37	44	55	63	60	66	62	59	59	58	56	59	51	35
Sun	32	32	33	33	34	38	45	51	57	59	69	67	63	53	51	48	37