Best Time to Drive from Northridge to Downey

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 61 minutes via US-101 South and I-5 South, usually 68 at this time.

Only 6% 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 Downey 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	40	43	47	47	47	47	53	55	58	71	103	104	100	81	62	46	39
Tue	37	42	52	53	46	48	51	53	58	80	108	111	105	88	70	49	39
Wed	37	42	51	51	46	47	49	50	55	68	87	97	97	78	65	52	40
Thu	37	43	50	51	45	49	54	57	62	87	110	125	112	89	68	53	41
Fri	38	41	49	53	50	50	54	65	76	105	119	119	112	91	66	53	41
Sat	38	38	40	44	47	50	57	60	64	68	71	67	67	59	55	52	42
Sun	38	38	38	39	41	47	51	56	58	62	67	68	65	61	56	53	43

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Northridge to Downey (via US-101 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 125 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 62 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (71 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (10 to 33 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northridge to central Downey 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 Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 125 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 38-mile drive usually takes 37 to 125 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 62 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to Downey?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 125 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (8 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey 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	40	43	47	47	47	47	53	55	58	71	103	104	100	81	62	46	39
Tue	37	42	52	53	46	48	51	53	58	80	108	111	105	88	70	49	39
Wed	37	42	51	51	46	47	49	50	55	68	87	97	97	78	65	52	40
Thu	37	43	50	51	45	49	54	57	62	87	110	125	112	89	68	53	41
Fri	38	41	49	53	50	50	54	65	76	105	119	119	112	91	66	53	41
Sat	38	38	40	44	47	50	57	60	64	68	71	67	67	59	55	52	42
Sun	38	38	38	39	41	47	51	56	58	62	67	68	65	61	56	53	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	43	47	47	47	47	53	55	58	71	103	104	100	81	62	46	39
Tue	37	42	52	53	46	48	51	53	58	80	108	111	105	88	70	49	39
Wed	37	42	51	51	46	47	49	50	55	68	87	97	97	78	65	52	40
Thu	37	43	50	51	45	49	54	57	62	87	110	125	112	89	68	53	41
Fri	38	41	49	53	50	50	54	65	76	105	119	119	112	91	66	53	41
Sat	38	38	40	44	47	50	57	60	64	68	71	67	67	59	55	52	42
Sun	38	38	38	39	41	47	51	56	58	62	67	68	65	61	56	53	43

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	43	47	47	47	47	53	55	58	71	103	104	100	81	62	46	39
Tue	37	42	52	53	46	48	51	53	58	80	108	111	105	88	70	49	39
Wed	37	42	51	51	46	47	49	50	55	68	87	97	97	78	65	52	40
Thu	37	43	50	51	45	49	54	57	62	87	110	125	112	89	68	53	41
Fri	38	41	49	53	50	50	54	65	76	105	119	119	112	91	66	53	41
Sat	38	38	40	44	47	50	57	60	64	68	71	67	67	59	55	52	42
Sun	38	38	38	39	41	47	51	56	58	62	67	68	65	61	56	53	43