Best Time to Drive from Placentia to Los Angeles

Right now (10:05 pm PDT): about 27 minutes via I-5 North and SR-91 West, usually 27 at this time.

Only 33% 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 Placentia 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	27	32	36	41	37	33	33	32	32	33	35	33	34	31	29	28	27
Tue	27	33	39	44	38	35	34	34	33	32	34	35	36	32	30	28	27
Wed	27	32	38	41	38	34	33	34	32	32	36	37	37	34	30	28	27
Thu	27	33	38	42	37	35	34	33	33	32	36	39	38	33	31	29	28
Fri	27	32	33	35	34	34	34	34	35	37	39	38	39	40	33	29	27
Sat	27	28	29	29	30	32	33	33	33	32	32	33	34	32	31	30	28
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	30	30	32	31	32	32	32	31	32	33	31	29

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Placentia to Los Angeles (via I-5 North and SR-91 West) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 46 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (34 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.1 miles surface streets (1 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Placentia 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 Placentia to Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 46 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 27 to 46 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Placentia to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 46 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (10 miles) · SR-91 West in Orange County (6 miles) · SR-57 South in Orange County (1.9 miles)

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

More drives

Los Angeles to Placentia (return trip) · Placentia to Long Beach · Placentia to Riverside · Placentia to Santa Ana · Placentia to Irvine · Placentia to San Bernardino · Placentia to Huntington Beach · Placentia to Glendale · Placentia to Santa Clarita · Placentia to Garden Grove · Placentia to Rancho Cucamonga · Placentia to Ontario

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	32	36	41	37	33	33	32	32	33	35	33	34	31	29	28	27
Tue	27	33	39	44	38	35	34	34	33	32	34	35	36	32	30	28	27
Wed	27	32	38	41	38	34	33	34	32	32	36	37	37	34	30	28	27
Thu	27	33	38	42	37	35	34	33	33	32	36	39	38	33	31	29	28
Fri	27	32	33	35	34	34	34	34	35	37	39	38	39	40	33	29	27
Sat	27	28	29	29	30	32	33	33	33	32	32	33	34	32	31	30	28
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	30	30	32	31	32	32	32	31	32	33	31	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	32	36	41	37	33	33	32	32	33	35	33	34	31	29	28	27
Tue	27	33	39	44	38	35	34	34	33	32	34	35	36	32	30	28	27
Wed	27	32	38	41	38	34	33	34	32	32	36	37	37	34	30	28	27
Thu	27	33	38	42	37	35	34	33	33	32	36	39	38	33	31	29	28
Fri	27	32	33	35	34	34	34	34	35	37	39	38	39	40	33	29	27
Sat	27	28	29	29	30	32	33	33	33	32	32	33	34	32	31	30	28
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	30	30	32	31	32	32	32	31	32	33	31	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	32	36	41	37	33	33	32	32	33	35	33	34	31	29	28	27
Tue	27	33	39	44	38	35	34	34	33	32	34	35	36	32	30	28	27
Wed	27	32	38	41	38	34	33	34	32	32	36	37	37	34	30	28	27
Thu	27	33	38	42	37	35	34	33	33	32	36	39	38	33	31	29	28
Fri	27	32	33	35	34	34	34	34	35	37	39	38	39	40	33	29	27
Sat	27	28	29	29	30	32	33	33	33	32	32	33	34	32	31	30	28
Sun	27	27	27	27	28	30	30	32	31	32	32	32	31	32	33	31	29