Best Time to Drive from Mid-City to Fountain Valley

Right now (7:06 pm PDT): about 46 minutes via I-405 South, usually 43 at this time.

Only 1% 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 Fountain Valley 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	37	38	45	50	47	46	45	45	61	84	110	111	106	80	47	40	37
Tue	38	38	46	63	57	54	50	62	144	207	233	199	154	106	63	42	38
Wed	38	39	47	64	51	49	47	58	150	227	235	199	154	112	70	49	38
Thu	38	39	47	58	51	49	49	68	122	191	175	137	105	75	61	52	38
Fri	38	39	46	58	46	45	49	115	164	145	107	67	49	54	46	44	39
Sat	39	38	37	38	39	42	50	59	63	74	66	56	56	42	43	42	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	42	44	51	53	49	44	42	41	42	42	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Mid-City to Fountain Valley (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 236 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 104 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (76 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 18 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 Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 236 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 37 to 236 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 104 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mid-City to Fountain Valley?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 236 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (22 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (12 miles)

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

More drives

Fountain Valley 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	37	38	45	50	47	46	45	45	61	84	110	111	106	80	47	40	37
Tue	38	38	46	63	57	54	50	62	144	207	233	199	154	106	63	42	38
Wed	38	39	47	64	51	49	47	58	150	227	235	199	154	112	70	49	38
Thu	38	39	47	58	51	49	49	68	122	191	175	137	105	75	61	52	38
Fri	38	39	46	58	46	45	49	115	164	145	107	67	49	54	46	44	39
Sat	39	38	37	38	39	42	50	59	63	74	66	56	56	42	43	42	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	42	44	51	53	49	44	42	41	42	42	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	38	45	50	47	46	45	45	61	84	110	111	106	80	47	40	37
Tue	38	38	46	63	57	54	50	62	144	207	233	199	154	106	63	42	38
Wed	38	39	47	64	51	49	47	58	150	227	235	199	154	112	70	49	38
Thu	38	39	47	58	51	49	49	68	122	191	175	137	105	75	61	52	38
Fri	38	39	46	58	46	45	49	115	164	145	107	67	49	54	46	44	39
Sat	39	38	37	38	39	42	50	59	63	74	66	56	56	42	43	42	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	42	44	51	53	49	44	42	41	42	42	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	38	45	50	47	46	45	45	61	84	110	111	106	80	47	40	37
Tue	38	38	46	63	57	54	50	62	144	207	233	199	154	106	63	42	38
Wed	38	39	47	64	51	49	47	58	150	227	235	199	154	112	70	49	38
Thu	38	39	47	58	51	49	49	68	122	191	175	137	105	75	61	52	38
Fri	38	39	46	58	46	45	49	115	164	145	107	67	49	54	46	44	39
Sat	39	38	37	38	39	42	50	59	63	74	66	56	56	42	43	42	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	42	44	51	53	49	44	42	41	42	42	38