Best Time to Drive from Placentia to Los Angeles

Right now (6:02 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via I-5 North and SR-91 West, usually 34 at this time.

Only 12% 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.

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 47 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 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Los Angeles to Placentia

Freeway, about 29 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 1.1 miles: 1 to 3 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from central Placentia to Downtown LA (City Hall) along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

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	35	40	43	39	35	34	34	34	35	37	36	36	33	29	28	27
Tue	27	36	43	46	41	37	35	35	34	35	36	37	38	34	30	28	27
Wed	27	36	44	46	42	37	35	35	34	35	37	38	38	36	31	28	27
Thu	27	36	43	44	40	37	36	35	35	35	37	40	40	36	31	29	27
Fri	27	34	38	38	36	36	36	37	38	40	42	41	42	40	34	29	28
Sat	27	28	29	29	32	34	35	36	37	36	37	37	37	35	32	30	28
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	32	34	35	36	36	35	35	34	33	33	32	29

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 47 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 47 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Placentia to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 47 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

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)

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	35	40	43	39	35	34	34	34	35	37	36	36	33	29	28	27
Tue	27	36	43	46	41	37	35	35	34	35	36	37	38	34	30	28	27
Wed	27	36	44	46	42	37	35	35	34	35	37	38	38	36	31	28	27
Thu	27	36	43	44	40	37	36	35	35	35	37	40	40	36	31	29	27
Fri	27	34	38	38	36	36	36	37	38	40	42	41	42	40	34	29	28
Sat	27	28	29	29	32	34	35	36	37	36	37	37	37	35	32	30	28
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	32	34	35	36	36	35	35	34	33	33	32	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	35	40	43	39	35	34	34	34	35	37	36	36	33	29	28	27
Tue	27	36	43	46	41	37	35	35	34	35	36	37	38	34	30	28	27
Wed	27	36	44	46	42	37	35	35	34	35	37	38	38	36	31	28	27
Thu	27	36	43	44	40	37	36	35	35	35	37	40	40	36	31	29	27
Fri	27	34	38	38	36	36	36	37	38	40	42	41	42	40	34	29	28
Sat	27	28	29	29	32	34	35	36	37	36	37	37	37	35	32	30	28
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	32	34	35	36	36	35	35	34	33	33	32	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	35	40	43	39	35	34	34	34	35	37	36	36	33	29	28	27
Tue	27	36	43	46	41	37	35	35	34	35	36	37	38	34	30	28	27
Wed	27	36	44	46	42	37	35	35	34	35	37	38	38	36	31	28	27
Thu	27	36	43	44	40	37	36	35	35	35	37	40	40	36	31	29	27
Fri	27	34	38	38	36	36	36	37	38	40	42	41	42	40	34	29	28
Sat	27	28	29	29	32	34	35	36	37	36	37	37	37	35	32	30	28
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	32	34	35	36	36	35	35	34	33	33	32	29