Best Time to Drive from Northwood to Los Angeles

Right now (8:05 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via I-5 North, usually 37 at this time.

Only 42% 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 Northwood to Los Angeles 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	35	41	44	49	46	41	42	42	43	44	46	46	47	45	40	37	35
Tue	35	42	47	52	47	44	43	42	43	43	47	50	50	47	43	37	35
Wed	35	41	46	48	46	43	42	42	42	42	48	51	52	49	43	39	35
Thu	35	41	46	50	45	44	44	42	43	43	48	53	51	47	44	39	36
Fri	35	41	41	43	42	43	43	44	45	47	52	52	54	53	44	41	36
Sat	35	36	37	38	39	42	43	43	43	42	44	44	44	42	42	40	36
Sun	35	35	35	36	37	38	41	41	42	42	43	43	43	44	45	41	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from Northwood to Los Angeles (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 55 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northwood to Downtown LA (City Hall) 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 Northwood to Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 55 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Northwood to Los Angeles?

The 39-mile drive usually takes 35 to 55 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northwood to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 55 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (26 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (11 miles)

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

More drives

Los Angeles to Northwood (return trip) · Northwood 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	35	41	44	49	46	41	42	42	43	44	46	46	47	45	40	37	35
Tue	35	42	47	52	47	44	43	42	43	43	47	50	50	47	43	37	35
Wed	35	41	46	48	46	43	42	42	42	42	48	51	52	49	43	39	35
Thu	35	41	46	50	45	44	44	42	43	43	48	53	51	47	44	39	36
Fri	35	41	41	43	42	43	43	44	45	47	52	52	54	53	44	41	36
Sat	35	36	37	38	39	42	43	43	43	42	44	44	44	42	42	40	36
Sun	35	35	35	36	37	38	41	41	42	42	43	43	43	44	45	41	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	41	44	49	46	41	42	42	43	44	46	46	47	45	40	37	35
Tue	35	42	47	52	47	44	43	42	43	43	47	50	50	47	43	37	35
Wed	35	41	46	48	46	43	42	42	42	42	48	51	52	49	43	39	35
Thu	35	41	46	50	45	44	44	42	43	43	48	53	51	47	44	39	36
Fri	35	41	41	43	42	43	43	44	45	47	52	52	54	53	44	41	36
Sat	35	36	37	38	39	42	43	43	43	42	44	44	44	42	42	40	36
Sun	35	35	35	36	37	38	41	41	42	42	43	43	43	44	45	41	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	41	44	49	46	41	42	42	43	44	46	46	47	45	40	37	35
Tue	35	42	47	52	47	44	43	42	43	43	47	50	50	47	43	37	35
Wed	35	41	46	48	46	43	42	42	42	42	48	51	52	49	43	39	35
Thu	35	41	46	50	45	44	44	42	43	43	48	53	51	47	44	39	36
Fri	35	41	41	43	42	43	43	44	45	47	52	52	54	53	44	41	36
Sat	35	36	37	38	39	42	43	43	43	42	44	44	44	42	42	40	36
Sun	35	35	35	36	37	38	41	41	42	42	43	43	43	44	45	41	36