Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Fullerton

Right now (6:02 pm PDT): about 43 minutes via I-5 South, usually 44 at this time.

Only 4% 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.

On weekdays the 26-mile drive from Los Angeles to Fullerton (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 24 minutes and up to 53 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Fullerton to Los Angeles

Freeway, about 24 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 2 miles: 3 to 5 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from Downtown LA (City Hall) to central Fullerton along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Los Angeles to Fullerton 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	24	26	33	35	31	30	31	32	33	36	43	47	49	41	31	26	24
Tue	24	26	35	39	33	31	31	32	33	37	44	49	51	44	35	27	24
Wed	24	26	35	38	33	31	31	32	34	38	46	49	51	45	35	28	25
Thu	24	27	36	39	33	32	33	33	36	39	47	51	53	47	36	29	25
Fri	24	26	32	34	32	32	33	34	38	44	50	53	51	47	36	30	26
Sat	24	25	25	27	29	29	31	32	34	36	38	37	36	34	30	28	26
Sun	24	24	24	25	25	27	29	30	32	33	34	33	31	30	29	29	26

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 Fullerton?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 24 minutes then, versus up to 53 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Los Angeles to Fullerton?

The 26-mile drive usually takes 24 to 53 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Fullerton?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 53 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (6 miles) · SR-91 East in Orange County (3 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

Fullerton 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	24	26	33	35	31	30	31	32	33	36	43	47	49	41	31	26	24
Tue	24	26	35	39	33	31	31	32	33	37	44	49	51	44	35	27	24
Wed	24	26	35	38	33	31	31	32	34	38	46	49	51	45	35	28	25
Thu	24	27	36	39	33	32	33	33	36	39	47	51	53	47	36	29	25
Fri	24	26	32	34	32	32	33	34	38	44	50	53	51	47	36	30	26
Sat	24	25	25	27	29	29	31	32	34	36	38	37	36	34	30	28	26
Sun	24	24	24	25	25	27	29	30	32	33	34	33	31	30	29	29	26

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	24	26	33	35	31	30	31	32	33	36	43	47	49	41	31	26	24
Tue	24	26	35	39	33	31	31	32	33	37	44	49	51	44	35	27	24
Wed	24	26	35	38	33	31	31	32	34	38	46	49	51	45	35	28	25
Thu	24	27	36	39	33	32	33	33	36	39	47	51	53	47	36	29	25
Fri	24	26	32	34	32	32	33	34	38	44	50	53	51	47	36	30	26
Sat	24	25	25	27	29	29	31	32	34	36	38	37	36	34	30	28	26
Sun	24	24	24	25	25	27	29	30	32	33	34	33	31	30	29	29	26

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	24	26	33	35	31	30	31	32	33	36	43	47	49	41	31	26	24
Tue	24	26	35	39	33	31	31	32	33	37	44	49	51	44	35	27	24
Wed	24	26	35	38	33	31	31	32	34	38	46	49	51	45	35	28	25
Thu	24	27	36	39	33	32	33	33	36	39	47	51	53	47	36	29	25
Fri	24	26	32	34	32	32	33	34	38	44	50	53	51	47	36	30	26
Sat	24	25	25	27	29	29	31	32	34	36	38	37	36	34	30	28	26
Sun	24	24	24	25	25	27	29	30	32	33	34	33	31	30	29	29	26