Best Time to Drive from Thousand Oaks to Los Angeles

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 48 minutes via US-101 South, usually 43 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 Thousand Oaks to Los Angeles 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	35	37	37	39	42	41	42	45	46	50	66	66	68	59	52	41	36
Tue	35	36	37	39	41	42	43	43	45	54	66	62	65	59	54	43	36
Wed	35	37	37	38	40	41	41	42	44	49	57	68	74	57	52	45	36
Thu	35	37	37	39	39	40	42	42	44	55	71	82	74	60	56	46	37
Fri	35	37	38	38	40	42	44	51	51	72	78	81	76	73	52	44	37
Sat	35	35	36	38	38	40	45	45	51	49	52	50	50	46	45	43	36
Sun	36	36	35	36	37	39	41	41	42	45	55	54	54	47	45	43	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Thousand Oaks to Los Angeles (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 82 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 47 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (60 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.1 miles surface streets (about 2 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Thousand Oaks to Downtown LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) 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 Thousand Oaks to Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 82 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Thousand Oaks to Los Angeles?

The 40-mile drive usually takes 35 to 82 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 47 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Thousand Oaks to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 82 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (38 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Los Angeles to Thousand Oaks (return trip) · Thousand Oaks to Santa Monica · Thousand Oaks to Pasadena · Thousand Oaks to Long Beach · Thousand Oaks to West Covina · Thousand Oaks to Burbank · Thousand Oaks to Glendale · Thousand Oaks to Santa Clarita · Thousand Oaks to Van Nuys · Thousand Oaks to Torrance · Thousand Oaks to LAX · Thousand Oaks to Hollywood

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	37	37	39	42	41	42	45	46	50	66	66	68	59	52	41	36
Tue	35	36	37	39	41	42	43	43	45	54	66	62	65	59	54	43	36
Wed	35	37	37	38	40	41	41	42	44	49	57	68	74	57	52	45	36
Thu	35	37	37	39	39	40	42	42	44	55	71	82	74	60	56	46	37
Fri	35	37	38	38	40	42	44	51	51	72	78	81	76	73	52	44	37
Sat	35	35	36	38	38	40	45	45	51	49	52	50	50	46	45	43	36
Sun	36	36	35	36	37	39	41	41	42	45	55	54	54	47	45	43	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	37	37	39	42	41	42	45	46	50	66	66	68	59	52	41	36
Tue	35	36	37	39	41	42	43	43	45	54	66	62	65	59	54	43	36
Wed	35	37	37	38	40	41	41	42	44	49	57	68	74	57	52	45	36
Thu	35	37	37	39	39	40	42	42	44	55	71	82	74	60	56	46	37
Fri	35	37	38	38	40	42	44	51	51	72	78	81	76	73	52	44	37
Sat	35	35	36	38	38	40	45	45	51	49	52	50	50	46	45	43	36
Sun	36	36	35	36	37	39	41	41	42	45	55	54	54	47	45	43	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	37	37	39	42	41	42	45	46	50	66	66	68	59	52	41	36
Tue	35	36	37	39	41	42	43	43	45	54	66	62	65	59	54	43	36
Wed	35	37	37	38	40	41	41	42	44	49	57	68	74	57	52	45	36
Thu	35	37	37	39	39	40	42	42	44	55	71	82	74	60	56	46	37
Fri	35	37	38	38	40	42	44	51	51	72	78	81	76	73	52	44	37
Sat	35	35	36	38	38	40	45	45	51	49	52	50	50	46	45	43	36
Sun	36	36	35	36	37	39	41	41	42	45	55	54	54	47	45	43	37