Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Huntington Beach

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 50 minutes via I-605 South and I-5 South, usually 50 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 Los Angeles to Huntington Beach 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	43	47	50	53	47	48	54	53	57	54	78	91	88	79	58	46	43
Tue	41	43	52	59	48	47	49	52	51	60	78	92	92	82	66	51	42
Wed	42	43	56	61	51	50	52	53	54	64	72	84	80	75	69	57	43
Thu	42	44	55	60	50	50	54	55	61	62	87	91	94	87	66	49	44
Fri	41	42	52	60	55	50	50	52	60	74	83	87	87	81	60	51	43
Sat	42	42	42	45	47	47	50	52	54	59	62	63	56	53	49	49	45
Sun	42	41	42	42	43	47	47	52	53	56	55	53	53	50	51	49	44

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from Los Angeles to Huntington Beach (via I-605 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 97 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (63 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 12 miles surface streets (20 to 30 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Downtown LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) to central Huntington Beach (Orange 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 Los Angeles to Huntington Beach?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 97 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 36-mile drive usually takes 41 to 97 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Huntington Beach?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 97 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-605 South in Orange County (11 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (2 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (1.1 miles)

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

More drives

Huntington Beach 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	43	47	50	53	47	48	54	53	57	54	78	91	88	79	58	46	43
Tue	41	43	52	59	48	47	49	52	51	60	78	92	92	82	66	51	42
Wed	42	43	56	61	51	50	52	53	54	64	72	84	80	75	69	57	43
Thu	42	44	55	60	50	50	54	55	61	62	87	91	94	87	66	49	44
Fri	41	42	52	60	55	50	50	52	60	74	83	87	87	81	60	51	43
Sat	42	42	42	45	47	47	50	52	54	59	62	63	56	53	49	49	45
Sun	42	41	42	42	43	47	47	52	53	56	55	53	53	50	51	49	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	47	50	53	47	48	54	53	57	54	78	91	88	79	58	46	43
Tue	41	43	52	59	48	47	49	52	51	60	78	92	92	82	66	51	42
Wed	42	43	56	61	51	50	52	53	54	64	72	84	80	75	69	57	43
Thu	42	44	55	60	50	50	54	55	61	62	87	91	94	87	66	49	44
Fri	41	42	52	60	55	50	50	52	60	74	83	87	87	81	60	51	43
Sat	42	42	42	45	47	47	50	52	54	59	62	63	56	53	49	49	45
Sun	42	41	42	42	43	47	47	52	53	56	55	53	53	50	51	49	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	47	50	53	47	48	54	53	57	54	78	91	88	79	58	46	43
Tue	41	43	52	59	48	47	49	52	51	60	78	92	92	82	66	51	42
Wed	42	43	56	61	51	50	52	53	54	64	72	84	80	75	69	57	43
Thu	42	44	55	60	50	50	54	55	61	62	87	91	94	87	66	49	44
Fri	41	42	52	60	55	50	50	52	60	74	83	87	87	81	60	51	43
Sat	42	42	42	45	47	47	50	52	54	59	62	63	56	53	49	49	45
Sun	42	41	42	42	43	47	47	52	53	56	55	53	53	50	51	49	44