Best Time to Drive from Fountain Valley to Los Angeles

Right now (12:19 am PDT): about 31 minutes via I-605 North and I-405 North and I-5 North.

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 Fountain Valley to Los Angeles 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	36	40	45	41	38	39	38	37	37	37	40	39	33	33	32	31
Tue	30	36	46	52	44	39	37	35	35	35	37	39	41	37	33	32	31
Wed	30	36	41	46	42	38	37	36	35	36	36	38	38	37	37	32	31
Thu	30	36	40	46	41	39	38	37	36	36	37	40	42	36	34	34	32
Fri	30	36	36	39	38	37	40	37	37	39	38	39	41	36	35	34	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	34	35	36	36	35	35	34	35	34	34	35	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	33	35	34	35	35	34	35	36	37	35	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from Fountain Valley to Los Angeles (via I-605 North and I-405 North and I-5 North) 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 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 7 pm on Sundays (37 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.8 miles surface streets (1 to 2 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fountain Valley to Downtown LA (City Hall) 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 Fountain Valley to Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 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 Fountain Valley to Los Angeles?

The 35-mile drive usually takes 30 to 52 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fountain Valley to Los Angeles?

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

Freeways on this drive

I-605 North in Orange County (11 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (11 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (11 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Los Angeles to Fountain Valley (return trip) · Fountain Valley to Long Beach · Fountain Valley to Anaheim · Fountain Valley to Riverside · Fountain Valley to Irvine · Fountain Valley to San Bernardino · Fountain Valley to Fontana · Fountain Valley to Moreno Valley · Fountain Valley to Glendale · Fountain Valley to Santa Clarita · Fountain Valley to Oceanside · Fountain Valley to Rancho Cucamonga

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	36	40	45	41	38	39	38	37	37	37	40	39	33	33	32	31
Tue	30	36	46	52	44	39	37	35	35	35	37	39	41	37	33	32	31
Wed	30	36	41	46	42	38	37	36	35	36	36	38	38	37	37	32	31
Thu	30	36	40	46	41	39	38	37	36	36	37	40	42	36	34	34	32
Fri	30	36	36	39	38	37	40	37	37	39	38	39	41	36	35	34	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	34	35	36	36	35	35	34	35	34	34	35	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	33	35	34	35	35	34	35	36	37	35	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	36	40	45	41	38	39	38	37	37	37	40	39	33	33	32	31
Tue	30	36	46	52	44	39	37	35	35	35	37	39	41	37	33	32	31
Wed	30	36	41	46	42	38	37	36	35	36	36	38	38	37	37	32	31
Thu	30	36	40	46	41	39	38	37	36	36	37	40	42	36	34	34	32
Fri	30	36	36	39	38	37	40	37	37	39	38	39	41	36	35	34	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	34	35	36	36	35	35	34	35	34	34	35	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	33	35	34	35	35	34	35	36	37	35	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	36	40	45	41	38	39	38	37	37	37	40	39	33	33	32	31
Tue	30	36	46	52	44	39	37	35	35	35	37	39	41	37	33	32	31
Wed	30	36	41	46	42	38	37	36	35	36	36	38	38	37	37	32	31
Thu	30	36	40	46	41	39	38	37	36	36	37	40	42	36	34	34	32
Fri	30	36	36	39	38	37	40	37	37	39	38	39	41	36	35	34	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	34	35	36	36	35	35	34	35	34	34	35	33	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	33	33	35	34	35	35	34	35	36	37	35	32