Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Placentia

Right now (4:19 am PDT): about 27 minutes via I-5 South and SR-91 East, usually 26 at this time.

Only 24% 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 Placentia 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	27	31	35	38	32	31	35	34	38	36	53	60	59	51	38	29	27
Tue	26	28	40	44	34	32	33	35	36	42	54	59	60	55	43	33	27
Wed	26	28	38	42	35	32	32	34	35	39	43	53	46	41	37	31	27
Thu	26	28	38	42	35	34	37	38	42	41	57	60	62	57	43	31	29
Fri	26	28	36	39	37	34	35	37	42	51	58	59	59	55	40	33	29
Sat	27	27	28	29	32	32	34	35	36	38	42	40	37	35	33	32	29
Sun	27	27	26	27	28	32	32	35	36	37	37	36	35	34	34	32	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Los Angeles to Placentia (via I-5 South and SR-91 East) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 63 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 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (42 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1 mile surface streets (1 to 3 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 Placentia 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 Placentia?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 63 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 26 to 63 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Placentia?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 63 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · SR-91 East in Orange County (6 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (6 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (3 miles) · SR-57 North in Orange County (1.5 miles)

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

More drives

Placentia 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	27	31	35	38	32	31	35	34	38	36	53	60	59	51	38	29	27
Tue	26	28	40	44	34	32	33	35	36	42	54	59	60	55	43	33	27
Wed	26	28	38	42	35	32	32	34	35	39	43	53	46	41	37	31	27
Thu	26	28	38	42	35	34	37	38	42	41	57	60	62	57	43	31	29
Fri	26	28	36	39	37	34	35	37	42	51	58	59	59	55	40	33	29
Sat	27	27	28	29	32	32	34	35	36	38	42	40	37	35	33	32	29
Sun	27	27	26	27	28	32	32	35	36	37	37	36	35	34	34	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	31	35	38	32	31	35	34	38	36	53	60	59	51	38	29	27
Tue	26	28	40	44	34	32	33	35	36	42	54	59	60	55	43	33	27
Wed	26	28	38	42	35	32	32	34	35	39	43	53	46	41	37	31	27
Thu	26	28	38	42	35	34	37	38	42	41	57	60	62	57	43	31	29
Fri	26	28	36	39	37	34	35	37	42	51	58	59	59	55	40	33	29
Sat	27	27	28	29	32	32	34	35	36	38	42	40	37	35	33	32	29
Sun	27	27	26	27	28	32	32	35	36	37	37	36	35	34	34	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	31	35	38	32	31	35	34	38	36	53	60	59	51	38	29	27
Tue	26	28	40	44	34	32	33	35	36	42	54	59	60	55	43	33	27
Wed	26	28	38	42	35	32	32	34	35	39	43	53	46	41	37	31	27
Thu	26	28	38	42	35	34	37	38	42	41	57	60	62	57	43	31	29
Fri	26	28	36	39	37	34	35	37	42	51	58	59	59	55	40	33	29
Sat	27	27	28	29	32	32	34	35	36	38	42	40	37	35	33	32	29
Sun	27	27	26	27	28	32	32	35	36	37	37	36	35	34	34	32	30