Best Time to Drive from Glendale to Downey

Right now (2:36 am PST): about 21 minutes via I-5 South.

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 Glendale to Downey 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	22	27	32	34	33	33	35	35	38	41	55	64	59	52	34	23	21
Tue	20	25	37	38	35	37	34	33	34	45	60	72	68	57	42	28	21
Wed	20	24	36	37	35	34	34	33	36	43	50	55	53	47	39	29	22
Thu	20	25	34	37	35	37	35	38	40	51	64	69	68	59	40	29	23
Fri	20	24	33	38	36	33	34	37	47	59	64	66	65	54	39	33	23
Sat	22	21	22	24	28	33	36	37	41	44	45	45	44	42	37	34	25
Sun	21	21	21	22	22	26	31	39	40	44	39	40	38	37	36	34	25

About this drive

On weekdays the 21-mile drive from Glendale to Downey (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 20 minutes and up to 72 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 17 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (6 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Glendale (South Brand Boulevard) to central Downey (Downey Avenue) 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 Glendale to Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am. The drive usually takes about 20 minutes then, versus up to 72 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Glendale to Downey?

The 21-mile drive usually takes 20 to 72 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Glendale to Downey?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 72 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (17 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey to Glendale (return trip) · Glendale to Los Angeles · Glendale to Santa Monica · Glendale to Long Beach · Glendale to West Covina · Glendale to Santa Clarita · Glendale to Van Nuys · Glendale to Torrance · Glendale to LAX · Glendale to Culver City · Glendale to El Monte · Glendale to Whittier

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	22	27	32	34	33	33	35	35	38	41	55	64	59	52	34	23	21
Tue	20	25	37	38	35	37	34	33	34	45	60	72	68	57	42	28	21
Wed	20	24	36	37	35	34	34	33	36	43	50	55	53	47	39	29	22
Thu	20	25	34	37	35	37	35	38	40	51	64	69	68	59	40	29	23
Fri	20	24	33	38	36	33	34	37	47	59	64	66	65	54	39	33	23
Sat	22	21	22	24	28	33	36	37	41	44	45	45	44	42	37	34	25
Sun	21	21	21	22	22	26	31	39	40	44	39	40	38	37	36	34	25

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	22	27	32	34	33	33	35	35	38	41	55	64	59	52	34	23	21
Tue	20	25	37	38	35	37	34	33	34	45	60	72	68	57	42	28	21
Wed	20	24	36	37	35	34	34	33	36	43	50	55	53	47	39	29	22
Thu	20	25	34	37	35	37	35	38	40	51	64	69	68	59	40	29	23
Fri	20	24	33	38	36	33	34	37	47	59	64	66	65	54	39	33	23
Sat	22	21	22	24	28	33	36	37	41	44	45	45	44	42	37	34	25
Sun	21	21	21	22	22	26	31	39	40	44	39	40	38	37	36	34	25

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	22	27	32	34	33	33	35	35	38	41	55	64	59	52	34	23	21
Tue	20	25	37	38	35	37	34	33	34	45	60	72	68	57	42	28	21
Wed	20	24	36	37	35	34	34	33	36	43	50	55	53	47	39	29	22
Thu	20	25	34	37	35	37	35	38	40	51	64	69	68	59	40	29	23
Fri	20	24	33	38	36	33	34	37	47	59	64	66	65	54	39	33	23
Sat	22	21	22	24	28	33	36	37	41	44	45	45	44	42	37	34	25
Sun	21	21	21	22	22	26	31	39	40	44	39	40	38	37	36	34	25