Best Time to Drive from Northridge to Whittier

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 54 minutes via US-101 South and I-5 South, usually 64 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 Whittier 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	45	50	56	55	55	56	62	64	68	84	114	115	106	86	67	51	44
Tue	43	49	60	63	56	57	59	61	67	94	117	119	113	93	74	54	44
Wed	43	49	60	60	55	55	56	59	64	78	97	108	105	84	69	57	45
Thu	43	49	58	60	54	58	62	66	72	98	123	133	118	94	73	58	46
Fri	43	47	59	62	60	59	63	75	85	114	125	124	118	97	72	59	46
Sat	44	44	45	50	54	56	63	65	72	75	81	75	74	66	60	58	47
Sun	44	44	43	44	47	53	56	60	62	65	70	72	68	64	59	59	48

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Northridge to Whittier (via US-101 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 43 minutes and up to 133 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 72 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (81 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (11 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 Whittier 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 Whittier?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 43 minutes then, versus up to 133 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 44-mile drive usually takes 43 to 133 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 72 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to Whittier?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 133 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (4 miles) · I-605 North in Los Angeles (3 miles) · I-605 North in Orange County (1.2 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Whittier 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	45	50	56	55	55	56	62	64	68	84	114	115	106	86	67	51	44
Tue	43	49	60	63	56	57	59	61	67	94	117	119	113	93	74	54	44
Wed	43	49	60	60	55	55	56	59	64	78	97	108	105	84	69	57	45
Thu	43	49	58	60	54	58	62	66	72	98	123	133	118	94	73	58	46
Fri	43	47	59	62	60	59	63	75	85	114	125	124	118	97	72	59	46
Sat	44	44	45	50	54	56	63	65	72	75	81	75	74	66	60	58	47
Sun	44	44	43	44	47	53	56	60	62	65	70	72	68	64	59	59	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	50	56	55	55	56	62	64	68	84	114	115	106	86	67	51	44
Tue	43	49	60	63	56	57	59	61	67	94	117	119	113	93	74	54	44
Wed	43	49	60	60	55	55	56	59	64	78	97	108	105	84	69	57	45
Thu	43	49	58	60	54	58	62	66	72	98	123	133	118	94	73	58	46
Fri	43	47	59	62	60	59	63	75	85	114	125	124	118	97	72	59	46
Sat	44	44	45	50	54	56	63	65	72	75	81	75	74	66	60	58	47
Sun	44	44	43	44	47	53	56	60	62	65	70	72	68	64	59	59	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	50	56	55	55	56	62	64	68	84	114	115	106	86	67	51	44
Tue	43	49	60	63	56	57	59	61	67	94	117	119	113	93	74	54	44
Wed	43	49	60	60	55	55	56	59	64	78	97	108	105	84	69	57	45
Thu	43	49	58	60	54	58	62	66	72	98	123	133	118	94	73	58	46
Fri	43	47	59	62	60	59	63	75	85	114	125	124	118	97	72	59	46
Sat	44	44	45	50	54	56	63	65	72	75	81	75	74	66	60	58	47
Sun	44	44	43	44	47	53	56	60	62	65	70	72	68	64	59	59	48