Best Time to Drive from Northridge to Buena Park

Right now (3:21 pm PST): about 64 minutes via US-101 South and I-5 South, usually 65 at this time.

Only 5% 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 Buena Park 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	44	47	49	49	51	51	54	57	59	67	94	97	94	79	63	49	43
Tue	41	47	53	55	50	52	54	55	58	74	100	102	98	83	70	53	43
Wed	42	47	53	54	50	51	52	53	56	64	77	89	91	73	64	54	44
Thu	42	47	52	54	50	53	57	58	62	78	100	116	107	85	67	55	45
Fri	42	45	51	55	52	53	55	64	71	93	107	110	106	87	66	55	44
Sat	43	43	44	47	50	52	57	59	63	66	69	64	65	59	56	54	45
Sun	42	42	42	43	45	50	53	56	57	61	64	67	64	62	57	56	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 45-mile drive from Northridge to Buena Park (via US-101 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 116 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 61 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (69 minutes).

About 41 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northridge to central Buena Park 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 Buena Park?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 116 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Northridge to Buena Park?

The 45-mile drive usually takes 41 to 116 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to Buena Park?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 116 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 (5 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

Buena Park to Northridge (return trip) · Northridge to Los Angeles · Northridge to Rancho Cucamonga · Northridge to Long Beach · Northridge to Anaheim · Northridge to Riverside · Northridge to Santa Ana · Northridge to Irvine · Northridge to Fontana · Northridge to Oxnard · Northridge to Huntington Beach · Northridge to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	49	49	51	51	54	57	59	67	94	97	94	79	63	49	43
Tue	41	47	53	55	50	52	54	55	58	74	100	102	98	83	70	53	43
Wed	42	47	53	54	50	51	52	53	56	64	77	89	91	73	64	54	44
Thu	42	47	52	54	50	53	57	58	62	78	100	116	107	85	67	55	45
Fri	42	45	51	55	52	53	55	64	71	93	107	110	106	87	66	55	44
Sat	43	43	44	47	50	52	57	59	63	66	69	64	65	59	56	54	45
Sun	42	42	42	43	45	50	53	56	57	61	64	67	64	62	57	56	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	49	49	51	51	54	57	59	67	94	97	94	79	63	49	43
Tue	41	47	53	55	50	52	54	55	58	74	100	102	98	83	70	53	43
Wed	42	47	53	54	50	51	52	53	56	64	77	89	91	73	64	54	44
Thu	42	47	52	54	50	53	57	58	62	78	100	116	107	85	67	55	45
Fri	42	45	51	55	52	53	55	64	71	93	107	110	106	87	66	55	44
Sat	43	43	44	47	50	52	57	59	63	66	69	64	65	59	56	54	45
Sun	42	42	42	43	45	50	53	56	57	61	64	67	64	62	57	56	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	47	49	49	51	51	54	57	59	67	94	97	94	79	63	49	43
Tue	41	47	53	55	50	52	54	55	58	74	100	102	98	83	70	53	43
Wed	42	47	53	54	50	51	52	53	56	64	77	89	91	73	64	54	44
Thu	42	47	52	54	50	53	57	58	62	78	100	116	107	85	67	55	45
Fri	42	45	51	55	52	53	55	64	71	93	107	110	106	87	66	55	44
Sat	43	43	44	47	50	52	57	59	63	66	69	64	65	59	56	54	45
Sun	42	42	42	43	45	50	53	56	57	61	64	67	64	62	57	56	46