Best Time to Drive from Fullerton to Los Angeles

Right now (6:02 pm PDT): about 35 minutes via I-5 North, usually 32 at this time.

Only 14% 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.

On weekdays the 26-mile drive from Fullerton to Los Angeles (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 25 minutes and up to 47 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (35 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Los Angeles to Fullerton

Freeway, about 21 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 5 miles: 7 to 12 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from central Fullerton to Downtown LA (City Hall) along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Fullerton 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	25	32	39	42	37	33	32	32	32	32	34	33	33	30	27	26	25
Tue	25	33	42	46	40	35	32	32	31	32	34	34	35	32	28	26	25
Wed	25	33	43	46	42	35	32	32	32	33	35	36	36	33	28	26	25
Thu	25	33	43	45	40	35	34	33	32	33	36	38	37	33	28	26	25
Fri	25	31	36	36	34	33	34	34	35	38	39	39	39	37	32	27	26
Sat	25	26	26	27	29	31	33	33	34	34	35	34	35	32	30	28	26
Sun	25	25	25	26	27	29	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	31	30	30	27

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 Fullerton to Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 25 minutes then, versus up to 47 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Fullerton to Los Angeles?

The 26-mile drive usually takes 25 to 47 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fullerton to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 47 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (10 miles)

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

More drives

Los Angeles to Fullerton (return trip)

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	32	39	42	37	33	32	32	32	32	34	33	33	30	27	26	25
Tue	25	33	42	46	40	35	32	32	31	32	34	34	35	32	28	26	25
Wed	25	33	43	46	42	35	32	32	32	33	35	36	36	33	28	26	25
Thu	25	33	43	45	40	35	34	33	32	33	36	38	37	33	28	26	25
Fri	25	31	36	36	34	33	34	34	35	38	39	39	39	37	32	27	26
Sat	25	26	26	27	29	31	33	33	34	34	35	34	35	32	30	28	26
Sun	25	25	25	26	27	29	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	31	30	30	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	32	39	42	37	33	32	32	32	32	34	33	33	30	27	26	25
Tue	25	33	42	46	40	35	32	32	31	32	34	34	35	32	28	26	25
Wed	25	33	43	46	42	35	32	32	32	33	35	36	36	33	28	26	25
Thu	25	33	43	45	40	35	34	33	32	33	36	38	37	33	28	26	25
Fri	25	31	36	36	34	33	34	34	35	38	39	39	39	37	32	27	26
Sat	25	26	26	27	29	31	33	33	34	34	35	34	35	32	30	28	26
Sun	25	25	25	26	27	29	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	31	30	30	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	32	39	42	37	33	32	32	32	32	34	33	33	30	27	26	25
Tue	25	33	42	46	40	35	32	32	31	32	34	34	35	32	28	26	25
Wed	25	33	43	46	42	35	32	32	32	33	35	36	36	33	28	26	25
Thu	25	33	43	45	40	35	34	33	32	33	36	38	37	33	28	26	25
Fri	25	31	36	36	34	33	34	34	35	38	39	39	39	37	32	27	26
Sat	25	26	26	27	29	31	33	33	34	34	35	34	35	32	30	28	26
Sun	25	25	25	26	27	29	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	31	30	30	27