Best Time to Drive from Sylmar to Long Beach

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 69 minutes via I-405 South, usually 65 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 Sylmar to Long Beach 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	47	54	68	72	67	60	58	58	61	69	77	80	76	65	55	50	47
Tue	47	54	72	76	70	62	59	59	64	73	84	92	88	74	59	51	47
Wed	47	54	72	77	70	64	61	61	65	75	86	92	86	75	61	53	48
Thu	47	54	72	75	70	64	61	63	68	77	89	94	89	76	63	55	48
Fri	47	53	66	69	64	62	63	68	75	84	89	88	81	72	61	55	48
Sat	47	47	49	50	52	54	58	62	64	65	66	65	62	59	54	51	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	50	52	55	57	59	58	56	55	54	52	51	48

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from Sylmar to Long Beach (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 94 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 66 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (66 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sylmar to downtown Long Beach 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 Long Beach?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 94 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Sylmar to Long Beach?

The 51-mile drive usually takes 47 to 94 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 66 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sylmar to Long Beach?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 94 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (43 miles) · I-710 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Long Beach to Sylmar (return trip) · Sylmar to Los Angeles

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	54	68	72	67	60	58	58	61	69	77	80	76	65	55	50	47
Tue	47	54	72	76	70	62	59	59	64	73	84	92	88	74	59	51	47
Wed	47	54	72	77	70	64	61	61	65	75	86	92	86	75	61	53	48
Thu	47	54	72	75	70	64	61	63	68	77	89	94	89	76	63	55	48
Fri	47	53	66	69	64	62	63	68	75	84	89	88	81	72	61	55	48
Sat	47	47	49	50	52	54	58	62	64	65	66	65	62	59	54	51	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	50	52	55	57	59	58	56	55	54	52	51	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	54	68	72	67	60	58	58	61	69	77	80	76	65	55	50	47
Tue	47	54	72	76	70	62	59	59	64	73	84	92	88	74	59	51	47
Wed	47	54	72	77	70	64	61	61	65	75	86	92	86	75	61	53	48
Thu	47	54	72	75	70	64	61	63	68	77	89	94	89	76	63	55	48
Fri	47	53	66	69	64	62	63	68	75	84	89	88	81	72	61	55	48
Sat	47	47	49	50	52	54	58	62	64	65	66	65	62	59	54	51	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	50	52	55	57	59	58	56	55	54	52	51	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	54	68	72	67	60	58	58	61	69	77	80	76	65	55	50	47
Tue	47	54	72	76	70	62	59	59	64	73	84	92	88	74	59	51	47
Wed	47	54	72	77	70	64	61	61	65	75	86	92	86	75	61	53	48
Thu	47	54	72	75	70	64	61	63	68	77	89	94	89	76	63	55	48
Fri	47	53	66	69	64	62	63	68	75	84	89	88	81	72	61	55	48
Sat	47	47	49	50	52	54	58	62	64	65	66	65	62	59	54	51	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	50	52	55	57	59	58	56	55	54	52	51	48