Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to Buena Park

Right now (6:48 pm PDT): about 46 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 41 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 Van Nuys to Buena Park 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	38	40	41	40	40	43	43	45	47	61	70	67	57	44	37	34
Tue	33	37	42	45	40	40	42	43	43	49	67	75	74	62	49	40	34
Wed	33	37	45	47	40	40	42	43	43	51	59	66	66	58	49	40	34
Thu	33	37	43	45	41	43	45	46	49	53	71	81	75	64	47	40	35
Fri	34	36	43	46	44	42	43	45	51	61	75	71	74	62	48	42	35
Sat	34	34	35	37	40	40	43	44	47	49	54	51	51	43	41	42	35
Sun	34	34	34	35	36	39	40	44	45	47	46	46	44	43	43	43	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from Van Nuys to Buena Park (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 81 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (54 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Van Nuys to central Buena Park 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 Van Nuys to Buena Park?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 81 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Van Nuys to Buena Park?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 33 to 81 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Van Nuys to Buena Park?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 81 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (5 miles) · SR-170 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Buena Park to Van Nuys (return trip) · Van Nuys to Los Angeles · Van Nuys to Santa Monica · Van Nuys to Pasadena · Van Nuys to Long Beach · Van Nuys to West Covina · Van Nuys to Glendale · Van Nuys to Santa Clarita · Van Nuys to Torrance · Van Nuys to LAX · Van Nuys to Culver City · Van Nuys to El Monte

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	38	40	41	40	40	43	43	45	47	61	70	67	57	44	37	34
Tue	33	37	42	45	40	40	42	43	43	49	67	75	74	62	49	40	34
Wed	33	37	45	47	40	40	42	43	43	51	59	66	66	58	49	40	34
Thu	33	37	43	45	41	43	45	46	49	53	71	81	75	64	47	40	35
Fri	34	36	43	46	44	42	43	45	51	61	75	71	74	62	48	42	35
Sat	34	34	35	37	40	40	43	44	47	49	54	51	51	43	41	42	35
Sun	34	34	34	35	36	39	40	44	45	47	46	46	44	43	43	43	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	38	40	41	40	40	43	43	45	47	61	70	67	57	44	37	34
Tue	33	37	42	45	40	40	42	43	43	49	67	75	74	62	49	40	34
Wed	33	37	45	47	40	40	42	43	43	51	59	66	66	58	49	40	34
Thu	33	37	43	45	41	43	45	46	49	53	71	81	75	64	47	40	35
Fri	34	36	43	46	44	42	43	45	51	61	75	71	74	62	48	42	35
Sat	34	34	35	37	40	40	43	44	47	49	54	51	51	43	41	42	35
Sun	34	34	34	35	36	39	40	44	45	47	46	46	44	43	43	43	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	38	40	41	40	40	43	43	45	47	61	70	67	57	44	37	34
Tue	33	37	42	45	40	40	42	43	43	49	67	75	74	62	49	40	34
Wed	33	37	45	47	40	40	42	43	43	51	59	66	66	58	49	40	34
Thu	33	37	43	45	41	43	45	46	49	53	71	81	75	64	47	40	35
Fri	34	36	43	46	44	42	43	45	51	61	75	71	74	62	48	42	35
Sat	34	34	35	37	40	40	43	44	47	49	54	51	51	43	41	42	35
Sun	34	34	34	35	36	39	40	44	45	47	46	46	44	43	43	43	37