Best Time to Drive from Sylmar to Downey

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 53 minutes via I-210 East and I-5 South and SR-2 West, usually 58 at this time.

Only 17% 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 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	39	45	51	55	50	48	49	49	53	58	70	76	73	63	48	42	38
Tue	37	44	60	64	57	52	49	49	52	64	79	87	79	69	54	45	38
Wed	37	44	60	67	60	52	49	49	52	60	66	69	65	59	52	46	39
Thu	37	44	58	63	57	53	51	54	57	71	81	84	81	71	51	46	39
Fri	37	43	52	58	51	48	50	54	64	77	80	81	82	67	53	48	39
Sat	38	39	40	42	44	47	50	52	56	59	58	57	59	54	49	48	40
Sun	37	40	39	38	39	43	47	53	53	56	52	53	51	51	48	49	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from Sylmar to Downey (via I-210 East and I-5 South and SR-2 West) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 87 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (59 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 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 Sylmar 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 Sylmar to Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 87 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 41-mile drive usually takes 37 to 87 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sylmar to Downey?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 87 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-210 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (14 miles) · SR-2 West in Los Angeles (8 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey 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	39	45	51	55	50	48	49	49	53	58	70	76	73	63	48	42	38
Tue	37	44	60	64	57	52	49	49	52	64	79	87	79	69	54	45	38
Wed	37	44	60	67	60	52	49	49	52	60	66	69	65	59	52	46	39
Thu	37	44	58	63	57	53	51	54	57	71	81	84	81	71	51	46	39
Fri	37	43	52	58	51	48	50	54	64	77	80	81	82	67	53	48	39
Sat	38	39	40	42	44	47	50	52	56	59	58	57	59	54	49	48	40
Sun	37	40	39	38	39	43	47	53	53	56	52	53	51	51	48	49	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	45	51	55	50	48	49	49	53	58	70	76	73	63	48	42	38
Tue	37	44	60	64	57	52	49	49	52	64	79	87	79	69	54	45	38
Wed	37	44	60	67	60	52	49	49	52	60	66	69	65	59	52	46	39
Thu	37	44	58	63	57	53	51	54	57	71	81	84	81	71	51	46	39
Fri	37	43	52	58	51	48	50	54	64	77	80	81	82	67	53	48	39
Sat	38	39	40	42	44	47	50	52	56	59	58	57	59	54	49	48	40
Sun	37	40	39	38	39	43	47	53	53	56	52	53	51	51	48	49	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	45	51	55	50	48	49	49	53	58	70	76	73	63	48	42	38
Tue	37	44	60	64	57	52	49	49	52	64	79	87	79	69	54	45	38
Wed	37	44	60	67	60	52	49	49	52	60	66	69	65	59	52	46	39
Thu	37	44	58	63	57	53	51	54	57	71	81	84	81	71	51	46	39
Fri	37	43	52	58	51	48	50	54	64	77	80	81	82	67	53	48	39
Sat	38	39	40	42	44	47	50	52	56	59	58	57	59	54	49	48	40
Sun	37	40	39	38	39	43	47	53	53	56	52	53	51	51	48	49	39