Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Fountain Valley

Right now (8:05 pm PDT): about 33 minutes via I-5 South and I-605 South and I-405 South, usually 35 at this time.

Only 2% 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 Los Angeles to Fountain Valley 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	32	37	41	43	36	37	42	41	45	42	67	81	76	67	47	35	32
Tue	31	33	44	49	37	36	37	39	39	49	68	81	81	74	56	39	31
Wed	31	33	46	48	39	35	37	38	39	45	48	61	56	51	45	37	32
Thu	31	33	46	50	39	38	42	43	49	51	76	78	83	75	56	37	34
Fri	31	32	42	47	44	39	39	42	50	64	73	77	78	72	52	41	34
Sat	31	31	32	34	38	39	41	43	44	48	50	50	44	43	40	38	35
Sun	31	31	31	32	32	37	38	43	44	45	45	44	43	41	41	38	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from Los Angeles to Fountain Valley (via I-5 South and I-605 South and I-405 South) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 85 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.1 miles surface streets (1 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Downtown LA (City Hall) to central Fountain Valley 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 Los Angeles to Fountain Valley?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 85 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Los Angeles to Fountain Valley?

The 35-mile drive usually takes 31 to 85 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Fountain Valley?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 85 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (11 miles) · I-605 South in Orange County (10 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (10 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

More drives

Fountain Valley to Los Angeles (return trip) · Los Angeles to Santa Monica · Los Angeles to Long Beach · Los Angeles to West Covina · Los Angeles to Burbank · Los Angeles to Glendale · Los Angeles to Santa Clarita · Los Angeles to Van Nuys · Los Angeles to Torrance · Los Angeles to Hollywood · Los Angeles to Culver City · Los Angeles to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	37	41	43	36	37	42	41	45	42	67	81	76	67	47	35	32
Tue	31	33	44	49	37	36	37	39	39	49	68	81	81	74	56	39	31
Wed	31	33	46	48	39	35	37	38	39	45	48	61	56	51	45	37	32
Thu	31	33	46	50	39	38	42	43	49	51	76	78	83	75	56	37	34
Fri	31	32	42	47	44	39	39	42	50	64	73	77	78	72	52	41	34
Sat	31	31	32	34	38	39	41	43	44	48	50	50	44	43	40	38	35
Sun	31	31	31	32	32	37	38	43	44	45	45	44	43	41	41	38	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	37	41	43	36	37	42	41	45	42	67	81	76	67	47	35	32
Tue	31	33	44	49	37	36	37	39	39	49	68	81	81	74	56	39	31
Wed	31	33	46	48	39	35	37	38	39	45	48	61	56	51	45	37	32
Thu	31	33	46	50	39	38	42	43	49	51	76	78	83	75	56	37	34
Fri	31	32	42	47	44	39	39	42	50	64	73	77	78	72	52	41	34
Sat	31	31	32	34	38	39	41	43	44	48	50	50	44	43	40	38	35
Sun	31	31	31	32	32	37	38	43	44	45	45	44	43	41	41	38	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	37	41	43	36	37	42	41	45	42	67	81	76	67	47	35	32
Tue	31	33	44	49	37	36	37	39	39	49	68	81	81	74	56	39	31
Wed	31	33	46	48	39	35	37	38	39	45	48	61	56	51	45	37	32
Thu	31	33	46	50	39	38	42	43	49	51	76	78	83	75	56	37	34
Fri	31	32	42	47	44	39	39	42	50	64	73	77	78	72	52	41	34
Sat	31	31	32	34	38	39	41	43	44	48	50	50	44	43	40	38	35
Sun	31	31	31	32	32	37	38	43	44	45	45	44	43	41	41	38	35