Best Time to Drive from Mid-City to Carson

Right now (7:35 pm PDT): about 28 minutes via I-405 South, usually 36 at this time.

Only 2% 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 Mid-City to Carson 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	20	21	26	28	27	25	25	25	29	40	51	53	52	47	28	21	20
Tue	20	21	27	36	33	29	28	27	63	78	95	107	106	73	37	23	20
Wed	20	21	27	37	31	28	26	27	56	81	107	114	108	78	44	28	21
Thu	20	22	27	34	30	29	28	32	50	83	109	79	61	42	30	32	20
Fri	20	21	28	36	27	25	28	50	74	83	68	42	25	31	26	25	21
Sat	21	21	20	21	21	24	27	34	35	37	40	33	31	23	24	23	20
Sun	21	20	20	21	21	21	22	24	30	31	29	24	22	22	22	23	21

About this drive

On weekdays the 18-mile drive from Mid-City to Carson (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 20 minutes and up to 114 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 47 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (48 minutes).

About 12 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (10 to 23 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Mid-City to central Carson 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 Mid-City to Carson?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 20 minutes then, versus up to 114 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Mid-City to Carson?

The 18-mile drive usually takes 20 to 114 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 47 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mid-City to Carson?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 114 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (12 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carson to Mid-City (return trip) · Mid-City to Fontana · Mid-City to Moreno Valley · Mid-City to Glendale · Mid-City to Lancaster · Mid-City to Palmdale · Mid-City to Valencia · Mid-City to Fullerton · Mid-City to East Los Angeles · Mid-City to Costa Mesa · Mid-City to Norwalk · Mid-City to Rialto

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	21	26	28	27	25	25	25	29	40	51	53	52	47	28	21	20
Tue	20	21	27	36	33	29	28	27	63	78	95	107	106	73	37	23	20
Wed	20	21	27	37	31	28	26	27	56	81	107	114	108	78	44	28	21
Thu	20	22	27	34	30	29	28	32	50	83	109	79	61	42	30	32	20
Fri	20	21	28	36	27	25	28	50	74	83	68	42	25	31	26	25	21
Sat	21	21	20	21	21	24	27	34	35	37	40	33	31	23	24	23	20
Sun	21	20	20	21	21	21	22	24	30	31	29	24	22	22	22	23	21

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	21	26	28	27	25	25	25	29	40	51	53	52	47	28	21	20
Tue	20	21	27	36	33	29	28	27	63	78	95	107	106	73	37	23	20
Wed	20	21	27	37	31	28	26	27	56	81	107	114	108	78	44	28	21
Thu	20	22	27	34	30	29	28	32	50	83	109	79	61	42	30	32	20
Fri	20	21	28	36	27	25	28	50	74	83	68	42	25	31	26	25	21
Sat	21	21	20	21	21	24	27	34	35	37	40	33	31	23	24	23	20
Sun	21	20	20	21	21	21	22	24	30	31	29	24	22	22	22	23	21

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	21	26	28	27	25	25	25	29	40	51	53	52	47	28	21	20
Tue	20	21	27	36	33	29	28	27	63	78	95	107	106	73	37	23	20
Wed	20	21	27	37	31	28	26	27	56	81	107	114	108	78	44	28	21
Thu	20	22	27	34	30	29	28	32	50	83	109	79	61	42	30	32	20
Fri	20	21	28	36	27	25	28	50	74	83	68	42	25	31	26	25	21
Sat	21	21	20	21	21	24	27	34	35	37	40	33	31	23	24	23	20
Sun	21	20	20	21	21	21	22	24	30	31	29	24	22	22	22	23	21