Best Time to Drive from Hollywood to Downey

Right now (4:35 pm PST): about 64 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 70 at this time.

Only 5% 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 Hollywood 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	21	23	26	26	24	25	30	29	32	32	50	60	58	50	32	24	21
Tue	19	21	29	31	24	25	27	27	28	37	53	66	66	55	41	26	20
Wed	19	21	29	29	25	24	26	26	29	34	42	53	49	43	35	26	21
Thu	19	21	28	29	24	26	30	30	35	40	58	68	68	56	38	27	22
Fri	20	20	28	32	28	27	28	32	39	49	63	63	62	53	37	29	22
Sat	20	20	20	23	25	27	30	31	35	37	37	37	38	33	29	27	23
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	26	28	32	33	34	33	33	33	30	31	29	23

About this drive

On weekdays the 18-mile drive from Hollywood to Downey (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 19 minutes and up to 71 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 32 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 15 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Hollywood (North Cahuenga 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 Hollywood to Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 19 minutes then, versus up to 71 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 18-mile drive usually takes 19 to 71 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 32 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Hollywood to Downey?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 71 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (8 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (7 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey to Hollywood (return trip) · Hollywood to Los Angeles · Hollywood to Santa Monica · Hollywood to Pasadena · Hollywood to Long Beach · Hollywood to West Covina · Hollywood to Santa Clarita · Hollywood to Van Nuys · Hollywood to Torrance · Hollywood to El Monte · Hollywood to Whittier · Hollywood to Thousand Oaks

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	23	26	26	24	25	30	29	32	32	50	60	58	50	32	24	21
Tue	19	21	29	31	24	25	27	27	28	37	53	66	66	55	41	26	20
Wed	19	21	29	29	25	24	26	26	29	34	42	53	49	43	35	26	21
Thu	19	21	28	29	24	26	30	30	35	40	58	68	68	56	38	27	22
Fri	20	20	28	32	28	27	28	32	39	49	63	63	62	53	37	29	22
Sat	20	20	20	23	25	27	30	31	35	37	37	37	38	33	29	27	23
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	26	28	32	33	34	33	33	33	30	31	29	23

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	23	26	26	24	25	30	29	32	32	50	60	58	50	32	24	21
Tue	19	21	29	31	24	25	27	27	28	37	53	66	66	55	41	26	20
Wed	19	21	29	29	25	24	26	26	29	34	42	53	49	43	35	26	21
Thu	19	21	28	29	24	26	30	30	35	40	58	68	68	56	38	27	22
Fri	20	20	28	32	28	27	28	32	39	49	63	63	62	53	37	29	22
Sat	20	20	20	23	25	27	30	31	35	37	37	37	38	33	29	27	23
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	26	28	32	33	34	33	33	33	30	31	29	23

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	23	26	26	24	25	30	29	32	32	50	60	58	50	32	24	21
Tue	19	21	29	31	24	25	27	27	28	37	53	66	66	55	41	26	20
Wed	19	21	29	29	25	24	26	26	29	34	42	53	49	43	35	26	21
Thu	19	21	28	29	24	26	30	30	35	40	58	68	68	56	38	27	22
Fri	20	20	28	32	28	27	28	32	39	49	63	63	62	53	37	29	22
Sat	20	20	20	23	25	27	30	31	35	37	37	37	38	33	29	27	23
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	26	28	32	33	34	33	33	33	30	31	29	23