Best Time to Drive from Sylmar to Carson

Right now (7:35 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via I-405 South, usually 66 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Sylmar 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	38	38	39	45	46	43	45	53	71	77	91	100	99	77	48	42	38
Tue	38	38	39	60	66	48	48	81	116	128	169	185	151	109	70	50	38
Wed	37	38	38	55	61	47	50	70	115	167	193	191	159	118	78	56	39
Thu	38	38	39	53	61	48	54	82	115	163	162	173	165	138	104	67	39
Fri	38	38	39	47	46	47	62	102	128	127	126	146	138	115	90	63	42
Sat	38	38	38	39	42	46	57	68	69	90	86	79	65	52	47	46	39
Sun	38	38	38	39	40	41	43	47	51	53	50	50	48	48	48	45	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from Sylmar to Carson (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 203 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 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 93 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (90 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sylmar 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 Sylmar to Carson?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 203 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Sylmar to Carson?

The 41-mile drive usually takes 37 to 203 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 93 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sylmar to Carson?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 203 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (38 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carson to Sylmar (return trip) · Sylmar to Los Angeles · Sylmar to Long Beach · Sylmar to Anaheim · Sylmar to Riverside · Sylmar to Santa Ana · Sylmar to Irvine · Sylmar to San Bernardino · Sylmar to Fontana · Sylmar to Oxnard · Sylmar to Huntington Beach · Sylmar to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	38	39	45	46	43	45	53	71	77	91	100	99	77	48	42	38
Tue	38	38	39	60	66	48	48	81	116	128	169	185	151	109	70	50	38
Wed	37	38	38	55	61	47	50	70	115	167	193	191	159	118	78	56	39
Thu	38	38	39	53	61	48	54	82	115	163	162	173	165	138	104	67	39
Fri	38	38	39	47	46	47	62	102	128	127	126	146	138	115	90	63	42
Sat	38	38	38	39	42	46	57	68	69	90	86	79	65	52	47	46	39
Sun	38	38	38	39	40	41	43	47	51	53	50	50	48	48	48	45	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	38	39	45	46	43	45	53	71	77	91	100	99	77	48	42	38
Tue	38	38	39	60	66	48	48	81	116	128	169	185	151	109	70	50	38
Wed	37	38	38	55	61	47	50	70	115	167	193	191	159	118	78	56	39
Thu	38	38	39	53	61	48	54	82	115	163	162	173	165	138	104	67	39
Fri	38	38	39	47	46	47	62	102	128	127	126	146	138	115	90	63	42
Sat	38	38	38	39	42	46	57	68	69	90	86	79	65	52	47	46	39
Sun	38	38	38	39	40	41	43	47	51	53	50	50	48	48	48	45	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	38	39	45	46	43	45	53	71	77	91	100	99	77	48	42	38
Tue	38	38	39	60	66	48	48	81	116	128	169	185	151	109	70	50	38
Wed	37	38	38	55	61	47	50	70	115	167	193	191	159	118	78	56	39
Thu	38	38	39	53	61	48	54	82	115	163	162	173	165	138	104	67	39
Fri	38	38	39	47	46	47	62	102	128	127	126	146	138	115	90	63	42
Sat	38	38	38	39	42	46	57	68	69	90	86	79	65	52	47	46	39
Sun	38	38	38	39	40	41	43	47	51	53	50	50	48	48	48	45	39