Best Time to Drive from Huntington Beach to Los Angeles

Right now (6:47 am PDT): about 57 minutes via I-605 North and I-5 North, usually 61 at this time.

Only 11% 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 Huntington Beach 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	44	51	57	58	53	50	50	50	50	53	56	58	57	52	45	44	43
Tue	44	53	64	64	58	53	50	49	51	53	60	64	65	57	48	44	43
Wed	44	53	65	65	60	54	51	50	51	56	60	66	67	59	49	45	43
Thu	44	52	61	62	58	53	51	51	52	56	62	67	67	60	50	45	43
Fri	43	49	53	54	53	52	54	56	57	63	67	71	69	62	52	46	43
Sat	43	43	44	45	47	50	54	57	58	60	60	62	61	58	51	46	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	45	47	50	51	53	53	52	51	50	49	49	48	43

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from Huntington Beach to Los Angeles (via I-605 North and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 43 minutes and up to 71 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 52 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (62 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 12 miles surface streets (21 to 35 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Huntington Beach (Orange Avenue) to Downtown LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) 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 Huntington Beach to Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 43 minutes then, versus up to 71 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Huntington Beach to Los Angeles?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 43 to 71 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 52 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Huntington Beach to Los Angeles?

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

Freeways on this drive

I-605 North in Orange County (11 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

Los Angeles to Huntington Beach (return trip) · Huntington Beach to Santa Monica · Huntington Beach to West Covina · Huntington Beach to Burbank · Huntington Beach to Glendale · Huntington Beach to Santa Clarita · Huntington Beach to Van Nuys · Huntington Beach to LAX · Huntington Beach to Hollywood · Huntington Beach to Culver City · Huntington Beach to El Monte · Huntington Beach 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	44	51	57	58	53	50	50	50	50	53	56	58	57	52	45	44	43
Tue	44	53	64	64	58	53	50	49	51	53	60	64	65	57	48	44	43
Wed	44	53	65	65	60	54	51	50	51	56	60	66	67	59	49	45	43
Thu	44	52	61	62	58	53	51	51	52	56	62	67	67	60	50	45	43
Fri	43	49	53	54	53	52	54	56	57	63	67	71	69	62	52	46	43
Sat	43	43	44	45	47	50	54	57	58	60	60	62	61	58	51	46	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	45	47	50	51	53	53	52	51	50	49	49	48	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	51	57	58	53	50	50	50	50	53	56	58	57	52	45	44	43
Tue	44	53	64	64	58	53	50	49	51	53	60	64	65	57	48	44	43
Wed	44	53	65	65	60	54	51	50	51	56	60	66	67	59	49	45	43
Thu	44	52	61	62	58	53	51	51	52	56	62	67	67	60	50	45	43
Fri	43	49	53	54	53	52	54	56	57	63	67	71	69	62	52	46	43
Sat	43	43	44	45	47	50	54	57	58	60	60	62	61	58	51	46	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	45	47	50	51	53	53	52	51	50	49	49	48	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	51	57	58	53	50	50	50	50	53	56	58	57	52	45	44	43
Tue	44	53	64	64	58	53	50	49	51	53	60	64	65	57	48	44	43
Wed	44	53	65	65	60	54	51	50	51	56	60	66	67	59	49	45	43
Thu	44	52	61	62	58	53	51	51	52	56	62	67	67	60	50	45	43
Fri	43	49	53	54	53	52	54	56	57	63	67	71	69	62	52	46	43
Sat	43	43	44	45	47	50	54	57	58	60	60	62	61	58	51	46	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	45	47	50	51	53	53	52	51	50	49	49	48	43