Best Time to Drive from Whittier to Northridge

Right now (3:21 pm PST): about 74 minutes via I-5 North and US-101 North, usually 105 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 Whittier to Northridge 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	70	101	102	97	86	82	81	84	93	102	101	86	71	62	46	43
Tue	42	72	94	103	103	93	78	79	82	100	107	98	81	72	65	50	43
Wed	42	67	90	95	102	90	85	81	81	94	101	96	82	72	70	54	44
Thu	42	68	91	99	99	87	80	82	89	101	106	101	84	71	71	64	45
Fri	43	59	80	90	87	83	79	87	100	107	102	98	88	77	80	67	47
Sat	44	44	45	53	62	84	88	96	103	102	103	104	96	96	91	72	49
Sun	44	43	44	44	45	62	77	89	95	97	99	91	89	89	84	71	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 45-mile drive from Whittier to Northridge (via I-5 North and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 42 minutes and up to 108 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 87 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (105 minutes).

About 39 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 24 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Whittier to central Northridge 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 Whittier to Northridge?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 42 minutes then, versus up to 108 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Whittier to Northridge?

The 45-mile drive usually takes 42 to 108 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 87 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Whittier to Northridge?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 108 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (19 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 miles) · I-605 South in Los Angeles (5 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Northridge to Whittier (return trip) · Whittier to Santa Monica · Whittier to Long Beach · Whittier to West Covina · Whittier to Burbank · Whittier to Santa Clarita · Whittier to Van Nuys · Whittier to Torrance · Whittier to LAX · Whittier to Culver City · Whittier to Thousand Oaks · Whittier to Oxnard

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	70	101	102	97	86	82	81	84	93	102	101	86	71	62	46	43
Tue	42	72	94	103	103	93	78	79	82	100	107	98	81	72	65	50	43
Wed	42	67	90	95	102	90	85	81	81	94	101	96	82	72	70	54	44
Thu	42	68	91	99	99	87	80	82	89	101	106	101	84	71	71	64	45
Fri	43	59	80	90	87	83	79	87	100	107	102	98	88	77	80	67	47
Sat	44	44	45	53	62	84	88	96	103	102	103	104	96	96	91	72	49
Sun	44	43	44	44	45	62	77	89	95	97	99	91	89	89	84	71	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	70	101	102	97	86	82	81	84	93	102	101	86	71	62	46	43
Tue	42	72	94	103	103	93	78	79	82	100	107	98	81	72	65	50	43
Wed	42	67	90	95	102	90	85	81	81	94	101	96	82	72	70	54	44
Thu	42	68	91	99	99	87	80	82	89	101	106	101	84	71	71	64	45
Fri	43	59	80	90	87	83	79	87	100	107	102	98	88	77	80	67	47
Sat	44	44	45	53	62	84	88	96	103	102	103	104	96	96	91	72	49
Sun	44	43	44	44	45	62	77	89	95	97	99	91	89	89	84	71	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	70	101	102	97	86	82	81	84	93	102	101	86	71	62	46	43
Tue	42	72	94	103	103	93	78	79	82	100	107	98	81	72	65	50	43
Wed	42	67	90	95	102	90	85	81	81	94	101	96	82	72	70	54	44
Thu	42	68	91	99	99	87	80	82	89	101	106	101	84	71	71	64	45
Fri	43	59	80	90	87	83	79	87	100	107	102	98	88	77	80	67	47
Sat	44	44	45	53	62	84	88	96	103	102	103	104	96	96	91	72	49
Sun	44	43	44	44	45	62	77	89	95	97	99	91	89	89	84	71	51