Best Time to Drive from Sherman Oaks to Downey

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via US-101 South and I-5 South, usually 37 at this time.

Only 2% 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 Sherman Oaks to Downey 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	29	30	33	33	32	33	37	37	40	42	60	71	67	57	39	31	28
Tue	27	29	36	36	32	33	35	35	36	46	67	74	73	62	46	34	27
Wed	26	29	36	35	31	32	34	34	36	42	49	59	56	49	41	33	27
Thu	26	29	36	37	31	35	37	38	42	49	70	81	74	63	43	34	29
Fri	27	28	36	40	37	35	37	40	46	60	74	72	74	62	44	36	28
Sat	27	27	28	30	34	34	38	39	42	44	49	47	48	39	36	35	29
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	33	35	39	39	41	40	41	39	37	37	37	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Sherman Oaks to Downey (via US-101 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 81 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 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sherman Oaks to central Downey 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 Sherman Oaks to Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 81 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Sherman Oaks to Downey?

The 29-mile drive usually takes 26 to 81 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sherman Oaks to Downey?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 81 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (18 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (8 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey to Sherman Oaks (return trip) · Sherman Oaks to Los Angeles · Sherman Oaks to Long Beach · Sherman Oaks to Anaheim · Sherman Oaks to Riverside · Sherman Oaks to Santa Ana · Sherman Oaks to Irvine · Sherman Oaks to Santa Monica · Sherman Oaks to San Bernardino · Sherman Oaks to Fontana · Sherman Oaks to Oxnard · Sherman Oaks to Huntington Beach

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	33	33	32	33	37	37	40	42	60	71	67	57	39	31	28
Tue	27	29	36	36	32	33	35	35	36	46	67	74	73	62	46	34	27
Wed	26	29	36	35	31	32	34	34	36	42	49	59	56	49	41	33	27
Thu	26	29	36	37	31	35	37	38	42	49	70	81	74	63	43	34	29
Fri	27	28	36	40	37	35	37	40	46	60	74	72	74	62	44	36	28
Sat	27	27	28	30	34	34	38	39	42	44	49	47	48	39	36	35	29
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	33	35	39	39	41	40	41	39	37	37	37	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	33	33	32	33	37	37	40	42	60	71	67	57	39	31	28
Tue	27	29	36	36	32	33	35	35	36	46	67	74	73	62	46	34	27
Wed	26	29	36	35	31	32	34	34	36	42	49	59	56	49	41	33	27
Thu	26	29	36	37	31	35	37	38	42	49	70	81	74	63	43	34	29
Fri	27	28	36	40	37	35	37	40	46	60	74	72	74	62	44	36	28
Sat	27	27	28	30	34	34	38	39	42	44	49	47	48	39	36	35	29
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	33	35	39	39	41	40	41	39	37	37	37	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	33	33	32	33	37	37	40	42	60	71	67	57	39	31	28
Tue	27	29	36	36	32	33	35	35	36	46	67	74	73	62	46	34	27
Wed	26	29	36	35	31	32	34	34	36	42	49	59	56	49	41	33	27
Thu	26	29	36	37	31	35	37	38	42	49	70	81	74	63	43	34	29
Fri	27	28	36	40	37	35	37	40	46	60	74	72	74	62	44	36	28
Sat	27	27	28	30	34	34	38	39	42	44	49	47	48	39	36	35	29
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	33	35	39	39	41	40	41	39	37	37	37	31