Best Time to Drive from Simi Valley to Downey

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 70 minutes via I-5 South and SR-118 East, usually 73 at this time.

Only 9% 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 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	51	62	66	72	72	72	69	69	68	77	87	87	84	73	58	52	50
Tue	48	65	73	85	88	73	66	66	69	83	94	99	90	79	64	54	49
Wed	47	61	72	85	91	69	66	64	69	77	82	84	79	73	62	56	50
Thu	48	63	71	77	83	72	69	71	74	88	94	96	95	82	62	58	50
Fri	48	62	69	73	69	67	67	75	87	93	92	94	94	77	66	60	51
Sat	49	51	54	57	61	63	65	68	71	73	73	70	72	68	65	60	51
Sun	49	49	49	49	52	58	64	68	69	70	69	68	67	68	64	62	52

About this drive

On weekdays the 54-mile drive from Simi Valley to Downey (via I-5 South and SR-118 East) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 99 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 73 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (73 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Simi Valley (3rd Street) to central Downey (Downey Avenue) 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 Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 99 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 54-mile drive usually takes 47 to 99 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 73 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Simi Valley to Downey?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 99 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (30 miles) · SR-118 East in Los Angeles (21 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

Simi Valley to Downey over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Downey 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	51	62	66	72	72	72	69	69	68	77	87	87	84	73	58	52	50
Tue	48	65	73	85	88	73	66	66	69	83	94	99	90	79	64	54	49
Wed	47	61	72	85	91	69	66	64	69	77	82	84	79	73	62	56	50
Thu	48	63	71	77	83	72	69	71	74	88	94	96	95	82	62	58	50
Fri	48	62	69	73	69	67	67	75	87	93	92	94	94	77	66	60	51
Sat	49	51	54	57	61	63	65	68	71	73	73	70	72	68	65	60	51
Sun	49	49	49	49	52	58	64	68	69	70	69	68	67	68	64	62	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	62	66	72	72	72	69	69	68	77	87	87	84	73	58	52	50
Tue	48	65	73	85	88	73	66	66	69	83	94	99	90	79	64	54	49
Wed	47	61	72	85	91	69	66	64	69	77	82	84	79	73	62	56	50
Thu	48	63	71	77	83	72	69	71	74	88	94	96	95	82	62	58	50
Fri	48	62	69	73	69	67	67	75	87	93	92	94	94	77	66	60	51
Sat	49	51	54	57	61	63	65	68	71	73	73	70	72	68	65	60	51
Sun	49	49	49	49	52	58	64	68	69	70	69	68	67	68	64	62	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	62	66	72	72	72	69	69	68	77	87	87	84	73	58	52	50
Tue	48	65	73	85	88	73	66	66	69	83	94	99	90	79	64	54	49
Wed	47	61	72	85	91	69	66	64	69	77	82	84	79	73	62	56	50
Thu	48	63	71	77	83	72	69	71	74	88	94	96	95	82	62	58	50
Fri	48	62	69	73	69	67	67	75	87	93	92	94	94	77	66	60	51
Sat	49	51	54	57	61	63	65	68	71	73	73	70	72	68	65	60	51
Sun	49	49	49	49	52	58	64	68	69	70	69	68	67	68	64	62	52