Best Time to Drive from Glendale to Downey

Right now (4:03 pm PDT): about 54 minutes via I-5 South, usually 65 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 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	63	58	51	34	23	21
Tue	20	25	36	38	36	37	35	34	34	44	61	70	68	55	40	28	21
Wed	20	25	38	39	35	34	35	36	37	47	55	59	60	53	41	29	21
Thu	20	25	35	38	35	37	35	38	41	52	66	71	68	59	39	30	23
Fri	21	24	34	40	38	34	34	38	48	60	65	65	65	54	38	33	24
Sat	22	21	22	24	31	36	40	40	44	48	51	50	45	42	36	35	24
Sun	21	21	21	21	22	27	30	38	39	42	41	39	36	34	33	33	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 73 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 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (51 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 73 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 21-mile drive usually takes 20 to 73 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Glendale to Downey?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 73 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	63	58	51	34	23	21
Tue	20	25	36	38	36	37	35	34	34	44	61	70	68	55	40	28	21
Wed	20	25	38	39	35	34	35	36	37	47	55	59	60	53	41	29	21
Thu	20	25	35	38	35	37	35	38	41	52	66	71	68	59	39	30	23
Fri	21	24	34	40	38	34	34	38	48	60	65	65	65	54	38	33	24
Sat	22	21	22	24	31	36	40	40	44	48	51	50	45	42	36	35	24
Sun	21	21	21	21	22	27	30	38	39	42	41	39	36	34	33	33	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	63	58	51	34	23	21
Tue	20	25	36	38	36	37	35	34	34	44	61	70	68	55	40	28	21
Wed	20	25	38	39	35	34	35	36	37	47	55	59	60	53	41	29	21
Thu	20	25	35	38	35	37	35	38	41	52	66	71	68	59	39	30	23
Fri	21	24	34	40	38	34	34	38	48	60	65	65	65	54	38	33	24
Sat	22	21	22	24	31	36	40	40	44	48	51	50	45	42	36	35	24
Sun	21	21	21	21	22	27	30	38	39	42	41	39	36	34	33	33	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	63	58	51	34	23	21
Tue	20	25	36	38	36	37	35	34	34	44	61	70	68	55	40	28	21
Wed	20	25	38	39	35	34	35	36	37	47	55	59	60	53	41	29	21
Thu	20	25	35	38	35	37	35	38	41	52	66	71	68	59	39	30	23
Fri	21	24	34	40	38	34	34	38	48	60	65	65	65	54	38	33	24
Sat	22	21	22	24	31	36	40	40	44	48	51	50	45	42	36	35	24
Sun	21	21	21	21	22	27	30	38	39	42	41	39	36	34	33	33	25