Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Whittier

Right now (3:48 pm PDT): about 36 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 45 at this time.

Only 7% 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 Whittier 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	30	34	39	27	28	43	37	46	49	73	84	83	71	44	27	23
Tue	22	23	39	43	29	27	31	38	38	58	74	85	87	73	60	35	23
Wed	22	22	41	46	32	26	31	36	40	63	71	79	80	73	59	35	23
Thu	22	23	37	44	29	31	41	46	57	63	80	85	89	81	61	33	27
Fri	22	22	37	47	41	36	36	46	62	72	79	82	83	78	54	38	28
Sat	22	22	23	27	34	36	43	46	49	53	54	54	45	42	37	35	30
Sun	22	22	22	22	23	34	34	44	44	53	52	45	41	36	39	33	28

About this drive

On weekdays the 16-mile drive from Los Angeles to Whittier (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 22 minutes and up to 89 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (56 minutes).

About 9 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (14 to 53 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 Whittier (Painter 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 Whittier?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am. The drive usually takes about 22 minutes then, versus up to 89 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 16-mile drive usually takes 22 to 89 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Whittier?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 89 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (7 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (2 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Whittier 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	30	34	39	27	28	43	37	46	49	73	84	83	71	44	27	23
Tue	22	23	39	43	29	27	31	38	38	58	74	85	87	73	60	35	23
Wed	22	22	41	46	32	26	31	36	40	63	71	79	80	73	59	35	23
Thu	22	23	37	44	29	31	41	46	57	63	80	85	89	81	61	33	27
Fri	22	22	37	47	41	36	36	46	62	72	79	82	83	78	54	38	28
Sat	22	22	23	27	34	36	43	46	49	53	54	54	45	42	37	35	30
Sun	22	22	22	22	23	34	34	44	44	53	52	45	41	36	39	33	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	24	30	34	39	27	28	43	37	46	49	73	84	83	71	44	27	23
Tue	22	23	39	43	29	27	31	38	38	58	74	85	87	73	60	35	23
Wed	22	22	41	46	32	26	31	36	40	63	71	79	80	73	59	35	23
Thu	22	23	37	44	29	31	41	46	57	63	80	85	89	81	61	33	27
Fri	22	22	37	47	41	36	36	46	62	72	79	82	83	78	54	38	28
Sat	22	22	23	27	34	36	43	46	49	53	54	54	45	42	37	35	30
Sun	22	22	22	22	23	34	34	44	44	53	52	45	41	36	39	33	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	24	30	34	39	27	28	43	37	46	49	73	84	83	71	44	27	23
Tue	22	23	39	43	29	27	31	38	38	58	74	85	87	73	60	35	23
Wed	22	22	41	46	32	26	31	36	40	63	71	79	80	73	59	35	23
Thu	22	23	37	44	29	31	41	46	57	63	80	85	89	81	61	33	27
Fri	22	22	37	47	41	36	36	46	62	72	79	82	83	78	54	38	28
Sat	22	22	23	27	34	36	43	46	49	53	54	54	45	42	37	35	30
Sun	22	22	22	22	23	34	34	44	44	53	52	45	41	36	39	33	28