Best Time to Drive from Northridge to Riverside

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 108 minutes via SR-91 East and US-101 South and I-5 South, usually 100 at this time.

Only 19% 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 Riverside 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	79	86	94	92	91	90	94	102	106	123	148	147	134	116	101	84	77
Tue	76	88	102	101	92	91	94	98	107	132	155	149	134	120	108	90	77
Wed	76	89	105	102	93	92	94	98	103	123	137	143	140	118	103	91	78
Thu	76	90	104	101	94	95	99	102	111	136	161	165	150	125	104	91	79
Fri	76	84	97	97	96	95	100	113	129	161	166	159	149	128	103	91	79
Sat	77	79	82	84	88	88	95	97	107	113	119	109	106	97	92	89	80
Sun	76	77	77	79	83	87	89	92	92	96	100	101	97	96	93	91	80

About this drive

On weekdays the 85-mile drive from Northridge to Riverside (via SR-91 East and US-101 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 76 minutes and up to 169 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 110 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (119 minutes).

About 79 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 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 Riverside 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 Riverside?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 76 minutes then, versus up to 169 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 85-mile drive usually takes 76 to 169 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 110 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to Riverside?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 169 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 East in Orange County (36 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (6 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (4 miles) · SR-91 East in Inland Empire (1.1 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

Riverside to Northridge (return trip) · Northridge to Los Angeles · Northridge to Rancho Cucamonga · Northridge to Long Beach · Northridge to Anaheim · 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	79	86	94	92	91	90	94	102	106	123	148	147	134	116	101	84	77
Tue	76	88	102	101	92	91	94	98	107	132	155	149	134	120	108	90	77
Wed	76	89	105	102	93	92	94	98	103	123	137	143	140	118	103	91	78
Thu	76	90	104	101	94	95	99	102	111	136	161	165	150	125	104	91	79
Fri	76	84	97	97	96	95	100	113	129	161	166	159	149	128	103	91	79
Sat	77	79	82	84	88	88	95	97	107	113	119	109	106	97	92	89	80
Sun	76	77	77	79	83	87	89	92	92	96	100	101	97	96	93	91	80

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	86	94	92	91	90	94	102	106	123	148	147	134	116	101	84	77
Tue	76	88	102	101	92	91	94	98	107	132	155	149	134	120	108	90	77
Wed	76	89	105	102	93	92	94	98	103	123	137	143	140	118	103	91	78
Thu	76	90	104	101	94	95	99	102	111	136	161	165	150	125	104	91	79
Fri	76	84	97	97	96	95	100	113	129	161	166	159	149	128	103	91	79
Sat	77	79	82	84	88	88	95	97	107	113	119	109	106	97	92	89	80
Sun	76	77	77	79	83	87	89	92	92	96	100	101	97	96	93	91	80

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	86	94	92	91	90	94	102	106	123	148	147	134	116	101	84	77
Tue	76	88	102	101	92	91	94	98	107	132	155	149	134	120	108	90	77
Wed	76	89	105	102	93	92	94	98	103	123	137	143	140	118	103	91	78
Thu	76	90	104	101	94	95	99	102	111	136	161	165	150	125	104	91	79
Fri	76	84	97	97	96	95	100	113	129	161	166	159	149	128	103	91	79
Sat	77	79	82	84	88	88	95	97	107	113	119	109	106	97	92	89	80
Sun	76	77	77	79	83	87	89	92	92	96	100	101	97	96	93	91	80