Best Time to Drive from Santa Paula to Los Angeles

Right now (12:19 am PDT): about 70 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South.

Only 1% 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 Santa Paula 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	71	90	102	93	83	78	78	80	79	80	83	87	91	83	78	76	71
Tue	70	101	126	108	87	81	79	78	78	80	93	103	102	91	89	76	71
Wed	70	75	85	89	81	79	80	77	78	81	93	104	102	91	82	75	69
Thu	70	100	115	94	80	81	81	76	79	83	103	118	116	91	84	78	72
Fri	70	74	79	78	77	81	81	81	84	92	120	116	117	96	90	82	72
Sat	72	74	75	75	76	77	81	86	93	91	98	96	108	87	81	79	71
Sun	70	71	71	71	74	76	79	81	82	80	80	86	84	82	85	82	75

About this drive

On weekdays the 65-mile drive from Santa Paula to Los Angeles (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 69 minutes and up to 126 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 80 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (112 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 28 miles surface streets (37 to 83 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Paula 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 Santa Paula to Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 69 minutes then, versus up to 126 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Paula to Los Angeles?

The 65-mile drive usually takes 69 to 126 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 80 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Paula to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 126 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (20 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (11 miles) · SR-170 South in Los Angeles (5 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Los Angeles to Santa Paula (return trip) · Santa Paula to Long Beach · Santa Paula to Poway · Santa Paula to Glendale · Santa Paula to Tustin

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	90	102	93	83	78	78	80	79	80	83	87	91	83	78	76	71
Tue	70	101	126	108	87	81	79	78	78	80	93	103	102	91	89	76	71
Wed	70	75	85	89	81	79	80	77	78	81	93	104	102	91	82	75	69
Thu	70	100	115	94	80	81	81	76	79	83	103	118	116	91	84	78	72
Fri	70	74	79	78	77	81	81	81	84	92	120	116	117	96	90	82	72
Sat	72	74	75	75	76	77	81	86	93	91	98	96	108	87	81	79	71
Sun	70	71	71	71	74	76	79	81	82	80	80	86	84	82	85	82	75

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	90	102	93	83	78	78	80	79	80	83	87	91	83	78	76	71
Tue	70	101	126	108	87	81	79	78	78	80	93	103	102	91	89	76	71
Wed	70	75	85	89	81	79	80	77	78	81	93	104	102	91	82	75	69
Thu	70	100	115	94	80	81	81	76	79	83	103	118	116	91	84	78	72
Fri	70	74	79	78	77	81	81	81	84	92	120	116	117	96	90	82	72
Sat	72	74	75	75	76	77	81	86	93	91	98	96	108	87	81	79	71
Sun	70	71	71	71	74	76	79	81	82	80	80	86	84	82	85	82	75

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	90	102	93	83	78	78	80	79	80	83	87	91	83	78	76	71
Tue	70	101	126	108	87	81	79	78	78	80	93	103	102	91	89	76	71
Wed	70	75	85	89	81	79	80	77	78	81	93	104	102	91	82	75	69
Thu	70	100	115	94	80	81	81	76	79	83	103	118	116	91	84	78	72
Fri	70	74	79	78	77	81	81	81	84	92	120	116	117	96	90	82	72
Sat	72	74	75	75	76	77	81	86	93	91	98	96	108	87	81	79	71
Sun	70	71	71	71	74	76	79	81	82	80	80	86	84	82	85	82	75