Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to Whittier

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 63 minutes via US-101 South and I-5 South, usually 55 at this time.

Only 6% 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 Whittier 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	42	48	54	51	48	50	58	56	62	69	88	100	92	80	56	45	40
Tue	39	43	59	58	48	51	54	55	58	76	101	111	102	88	65	49	40
Wed	39	43	64	60	49	49	54	56	57	79	94	101	97	85	68	51	40
Thu	39	43	57	58	47	53	58	63	71	84	109	120	108	91	65	51	42
Fri	40	41	60	65	60	54	59	63	78	97	112	108	106	89	65	54	41
Sat	40	40	41	47	52	51	62	64	69	77	83	75	74	58	54	54	43
Sun	40	40	39	40	43	51	54	61	62	67	63	63	58	56	55	55	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Van Nuys to Whittier (via US-101 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 120 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 64 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (83 minutes).

About 22 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (20 to 61 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 central Whittier (Painter Avenue) 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 Whittier?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 120 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Van Nuys to Whittier?

The 33-mile drive usually takes 39 to 120 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 64 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Van Nuys to Whittier?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 120 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (7 miles) · SR-170 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Whittier 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	42	48	54	51	48	50	58	56	62	69	88	100	92	80	56	45	40
Tue	39	43	59	58	48	51	54	55	58	76	101	111	102	88	65	49	40
Wed	39	43	64	60	49	49	54	56	57	79	94	101	97	85	68	51	40
Thu	39	43	57	58	47	53	58	63	71	84	109	120	108	91	65	51	42
Fri	40	41	60	65	60	54	59	63	78	97	112	108	106	89	65	54	41
Sat	40	40	41	47	52	51	62	64	69	77	83	75	74	58	54	54	43
Sun	40	40	39	40	43	51	54	61	62	67	63	63	58	56	55	55	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	48	54	51	48	50	58	56	62	69	88	100	92	80	56	45	40
Tue	39	43	59	58	48	51	54	55	58	76	101	111	102	88	65	49	40
Wed	39	43	64	60	49	49	54	56	57	79	94	101	97	85	68	51	40
Thu	39	43	57	58	47	53	58	63	71	84	109	120	108	91	65	51	42
Fri	40	41	60	65	60	54	59	63	78	97	112	108	106	89	65	54	41
Sat	40	40	41	47	52	51	62	64	69	77	83	75	74	58	54	54	43
Sun	40	40	39	40	43	51	54	61	62	67	63	63	58	56	55	55	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	48	54	51	48	50	58	56	62	69	88	100	92	80	56	45	40
Tue	39	43	59	58	48	51	54	55	58	76	101	111	102	88	65	49	40
Wed	39	43	64	60	49	49	54	56	57	79	94	101	97	85	68	51	40
Thu	39	43	57	58	47	53	58	63	71	84	109	120	108	91	65	51	42
Fri	40	41	60	65	60	54	59	63	78	97	112	108	106	89	65	54	41
Sat	40	40	41	47	52	51	62	64	69	77	83	75	74	58	54	54	43
Sun	40	40	39	40	43	51	54	61	62	67	63	63	58	56	55	55	45