Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Seal Beach

Right now (6:24 pm PDT): about 44 minutes via I-605 South and I-5 South, usually 42 at this time.

Only 6% 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 29-mile drive from Los Angeles to Seal Beach (via I-605 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 57 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (42 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Seal Beach to Los Angeles

Freeway, about 25 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 4 miles: 5 to 9 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 Seal Beach 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 Seal 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	27	30	35	37	34	32	33	34	35	38	45	50	51	45	34	29	27
Tue	27	30	38	39	35	33	33	34	35	39	46	52	55	48	38	30	27
Wed	27	30	38	39	36	33	33	34	36	40	48	54	56	48	38	31	28
Thu	27	30	36	37	35	33	34	35	37	41	49	54	56	50	39	31	29
Fri	27	29	34	36	34	34	35	37	40	46	54	57	55	51	40	33	29
Sat	27	27	28	29	31	33	34	37	39	41	41	42	41	38	33	31	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	30	32	33	35	36	37	36	34	33	32	32	29

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 Seal Beach?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 57 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 29-mile drive usually takes 27 to 57 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Seal Beach?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 57 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

I-605 South in Orange County (11 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (11 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

Seal 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	27	30	35	37	34	32	33	34	35	38	45	50	51	45	34	29	27
Tue	27	30	38	39	35	33	33	34	35	39	46	52	55	48	38	30	27
Wed	27	30	38	39	36	33	33	34	36	40	48	54	56	48	38	31	28
Thu	27	30	36	37	35	33	34	35	37	41	49	54	56	50	39	31	29
Fri	27	29	34	36	34	34	35	37	40	46	54	57	55	51	40	33	29
Sat	27	27	28	29	31	33	34	37	39	41	41	42	41	38	33	31	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	30	32	33	35	36	37	36	34	33	32	32	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	30	35	37	34	32	33	34	35	38	45	50	51	45	34	29	27
Tue	27	30	38	39	35	33	33	34	35	39	46	52	55	48	38	30	27
Wed	27	30	38	39	36	33	33	34	36	40	48	54	56	48	38	31	28
Thu	27	30	36	37	35	33	34	35	37	41	49	54	56	50	39	31	29
Fri	27	29	34	36	34	34	35	37	40	46	54	57	55	51	40	33	29
Sat	27	27	28	29	31	33	34	37	39	41	41	42	41	38	33	31	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	30	32	33	35	36	37	36	34	33	32	32	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	30	35	37	34	32	33	34	35	38	45	50	51	45	34	29	27
Tue	27	30	38	39	35	33	33	34	35	39	46	52	55	48	38	30	27
Wed	27	30	38	39	36	33	33	34	36	40	48	54	56	48	38	31	28
Thu	27	30	36	37	35	33	34	35	37	41	49	54	56	50	39	31	29
Fri	27	29	34	36	34	34	35	37	40	46	54	57	55	51	40	33	29
Sat	27	27	28	29	31	33	34	37	39	41	41	42	41	38	33	31	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	30	32	33	35	36	37	36	34	33	32	32	29