Best Time to Drive from Northridge to Anaheim

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 73 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 69 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Northridge to Anaheim 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	50	55	63	61	57	56	60	64	66	77	100	102	98	83	69	54	48
Tue	47	56	67	67	58	58	60	62	64	82	106	106	99	86	75	60	48
Wed	47	56	72	68	59	58	59	61	64	77	88	98	102	83	70	61	48
Thu	47	58	70	69	60	62	65	67	70	87	110	122	113	90	71	61	50
Fri	48	53	64	64	62	60	63	69	79	107	116	116	114	94	71	61	50
Sat	48	49	50	53	56	57	64	64	73	77	82	73	71	64	60	60	50
Sun	48	48	48	49	51	55	58	61	62	66	70	71	68	65	61	61	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from Northridge to Anaheim (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 122 minutes, when leaving around 4 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 69 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (82 minutes).

About 45 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northridge to Disneyland 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 Northridge to Anaheim?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 122 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Northridge to Anaheim?

The 51-mile drive usually takes 47 to 122 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 69 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to Anaheim?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 122 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (9 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (4 miles)

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

More drives

Anaheim to Northridge (return trip) · Northridge to Los Angeles · Northridge to Rancho Cucamonga · Northridge to Long Beach · Northridge to Riverside · Northridge to Santa Ana

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	55	63	61	57	56	60	64	66	77	100	102	98	83	69	54	48
Tue	47	56	67	67	58	58	60	62	64	82	106	106	99	86	75	60	48
Wed	47	56	72	68	59	58	59	61	64	77	88	98	102	83	70	61	48
Thu	47	58	70	69	60	62	65	67	70	87	110	122	113	90	71	61	50
Fri	48	53	64	64	62	60	63	69	79	107	116	116	114	94	71	61	50
Sat	48	49	50	53	56	57	64	64	73	77	82	73	71	64	60	60	50
Sun	48	48	48	49	51	55	58	61	62	66	70	71	68	65	61	61	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	55	63	61	57	56	60	64	66	77	100	102	98	83	69	54	48
Tue	47	56	67	67	58	58	60	62	64	82	106	106	99	86	75	60	48
Wed	47	56	72	68	59	58	59	61	64	77	88	98	102	83	70	61	48
Thu	47	58	70	69	60	62	65	67	70	87	110	122	113	90	71	61	50
Fri	48	53	64	64	62	60	63	69	79	107	116	116	114	94	71	61	50
Sat	48	49	50	53	56	57	64	64	73	77	82	73	71	64	60	60	50
Sun	48	48	48	49	51	55	58	61	62	66	70	71	68	65	61	61	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	55	63	61	57	56	60	64	66	77	100	102	98	83	69	54	48
Tue	47	56	67	67	58	58	60	62	64	82	106	106	99	86	75	60	48
Wed	47	56	72	68	59	58	59	61	64	77	88	98	102	83	70	61	48
Thu	47	58	70	69	60	62	65	67	70	87	110	122	113	90	71	61	50
Fri	48	53	64	64	62	60	63	69	79	107	116	116	114	94	71	61	50
Sat	48	49	50	53	56	57	64	64	73	77	82	73	71	64	60	60	50
Sun	48	48	48	49	51	55	58	61	62	66	70	71	68	65	61	61	51