Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to Los Angeles
Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 32 minutes via US-101 South, usually 40 at this time.
Only 5% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 19 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
| Tue | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 28 | 33 | 33 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 19 |
| Wed | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 27 | 33 | 32 | 27 | 23 | 21 | 19 |
| Thu | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 31 | 42 | 36 | 28 | 24 | 22 | 19 |
| Fri | 19 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 40 | 35 | 37 | 28 | 26 | 23 | 19 |
| Sat | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 34 | 29 | 34 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 20 |
| Sun | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 22 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 17-mile drive from Van Nuys to Los Angeles (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 19 minutes and up to 42 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 23 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (34 minutes).
About 13 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 19 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Van Nuys (Haynes Street) 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 Van Nuys to Los Angeles?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 19 minutes then, versus up to 42 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Van Nuys to Los Angeles?
The 17-mile drive usually takes 19 to 42 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 23 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Van Nuys to Los Angeles?
Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 42 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
US-101 South in Los Angeles (11 miles) · SR-170 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)
Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow
More drives
Los Angeles to Van Nuys (return trip) · 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 · Van Nuys to Downey