Best Time to Drive from Sherman Oaks to Downey

Right now (3:21 pm PST): about 49 minutes via US-101 South and I-5 South, usually 45 at this time.

Only 7% 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	31	33	33	32	33	37	37	40	42	59	71	67	58	40	31	28
Tue	27	29	36	37	31	33	35	35	36	46	66	77	74	63	48	34	27
Wed	26	29	36	35	32	32	34	33	36	43	50	60	57	51	43	34	28
Thu	26	29	35	36	31	34	37	38	41	49	68	79	75	63	43	34	29
Fri	27	28	35	38	35	34	36	40	46	58	75	72	76	62	44	36	28
Sat	28	27	28	30	33	34	37	39	42	44	46	46	47	39	37	35	30
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	32	35	39	39	42	40	41	39	38	38	37	30

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 79 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (47 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 79 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 79 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sherman Oaks to Downey?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 79 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	31	33	33	32	33	37	37	40	42	59	71	67	58	40	31	28
Tue	27	29	36	37	31	33	35	35	36	46	66	77	74	63	48	34	27
Wed	26	29	36	35	32	32	34	33	36	43	50	60	57	51	43	34	28
Thu	26	29	35	36	31	34	37	38	41	49	68	79	75	63	43	34	29
Fri	27	28	35	38	35	34	36	40	46	58	75	72	76	62	44	36	28
Sat	28	27	28	30	33	34	37	39	42	44	46	46	47	39	37	35	30
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	32	35	39	39	42	40	41	39	38	38	37	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	31	33	33	32	33	37	37	40	42	59	71	67	58	40	31	28
Tue	27	29	36	37	31	33	35	35	36	46	66	77	74	63	48	34	27
Wed	26	29	36	35	32	32	34	33	36	43	50	60	57	51	43	34	28
Thu	26	29	35	36	31	34	37	38	41	49	68	79	75	63	43	34	29
Fri	27	28	35	38	35	34	36	40	46	58	75	72	76	62	44	36	28
Sat	28	27	28	30	33	34	37	39	42	44	46	46	47	39	37	35	30
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	32	35	39	39	42	40	41	39	38	38	37	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	31	33	33	32	33	37	37	40	42	59	71	67	58	40	31	28
Tue	27	29	36	37	31	33	35	35	36	46	66	77	74	63	48	34	27
Wed	26	29	36	35	32	32	34	33	36	43	50	60	57	51	43	34	28
Thu	26	29	35	36	31	34	37	38	41	49	68	79	75	63	43	34	29
Fri	27	28	35	38	35	34	36	40	46	58	75	72	76	62	44	36	28
Sat	28	27	28	30	33	34	37	39	42	44	46	46	47	39	37	35	30
Sun	27	27	27	28	29	32	35	39	39	42	40	41	39	38	38	37	30