Best Time to Drive from Simi Valley to Carson

Right now (7:20 pm PST): about 64 minutes via I-405 South and SR-118 East, usually 100 at this time.

None 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 Simi Valley to Carson 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	49	49	51	59	61	57	59	70	88	101	111	117	111	86	62	54	48
Tue	50	49	51	84	89	66	65	111	155	171	232	215	178	134	94	65	49
Wed	49	49	51	73	79	62	68	102	162	221	250	228	193	149	105	71	49
Thu	49	50	52	71	78	64	76	106	153	188	223	234	209	169	124	82	51
Fri	49	50	51	59	60	62	83	134	161	163	199	209	189	158	119	81	52
Sat	50	49	50	51	54	58	69	79	92	107	108	100	88	75	67	63	50
Sun	49	49	49	50	53	54	58	65	69	72	71	72	68	65	65	60	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 56-mile drive from Simi Valley to Carson (via I-405 South and SR-118 East) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 250 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 122 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (110 minutes).

About 54 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.8 miles surface streets (2 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Simi Valley to central Carson 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 Simi Valley to Carson?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 250 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Simi Valley to Carson?

The 56-mile drive usually takes 48 to 250 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 122 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Simi Valley to Carson?

Leaving around 3 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 250 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (35 miles) · SR-118 East in Los Angeles (19 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carson to Simi Valley (return trip) · Simi Valley to Los Angeles · Simi Valley to Santa Monica · Simi Valley to Pasadena · Simi Valley to Long Beach · Simi Valley to West Covina · Simi Valley to Burbank · Simi Valley to Glendale · Simi Valley to Santa Clarita · Simi Valley to Van Nuys · Simi Valley to Torrance · Simi Valley to LAX

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	49	51	59	61	57	59	70	88	101	111	117	111	86	62	54	48
Tue	50	49	51	84	89	66	65	111	155	171	232	215	178	134	94	65	49
Wed	49	49	51	73	79	62	68	102	162	221	250	228	193	149	105	71	49
Thu	49	50	52	71	78	64	76	106	153	188	223	234	209	169	124	82	51
Fri	49	50	51	59	60	62	83	134	161	163	199	209	189	158	119	81	52
Sat	50	49	50	51	54	58	69	79	92	107	108	100	88	75	67	63	50
Sun	49	49	49	50	53	54	58	65	69	72	71	72	68	65	65	60	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	49	51	59	61	57	59	70	88	101	111	117	111	86	62	54	48
Tue	50	49	51	84	89	66	65	111	155	171	232	215	178	134	94	65	49
Wed	49	49	51	73	79	62	68	102	162	221	250	228	193	149	105	71	49
Thu	49	50	52	71	78	64	76	106	153	188	223	234	209	169	124	82	51
Fri	49	50	51	59	60	62	83	134	161	163	199	209	189	158	119	81	52
Sat	50	49	50	51	54	58	69	79	92	107	108	100	88	75	67	63	50
Sun	49	49	49	50	53	54	58	65	69	72	71	72	68	65	65	60	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	49	51	59	61	57	59	70	88	101	111	117	111	86	62	54	48
Tue	50	49	51	84	89	66	65	111	155	171	232	215	178	134	94	65	49
Wed	49	49	51	73	79	62	68	102	162	221	250	228	193	149	105	71	49
Thu	49	50	52	71	78	64	76	106	153	188	223	234	209	169	124	82	51
Fri	49	50	51	59	60	62	83	134	161	163	199	209	189	158	119	81	52
Sat	50	49	50	51	54	58	69	79	92	107	108	100	88	75	67	63	50
Sun	49	49	49	50	53	54	58	65	69	72	71	72	68	65	65	60	50