Best/worst time for drive LV to LA on weekend (Las Vegas: trip , bars)

[dedenla]

Friends are coming up to visit us (newbies) this weekend and cannot leave on Monday. I've seen the lines of cars exiting LV on Sundays. Will they do better leaving at 6 am or 7 am? Sunday, or in the evening 5 pm? Has anyone done this route often on Sundays - I don't want them to have an 8 hour return trip for what is routinely a 4 hour trip.
Any websites that show traffic through the Mojave Desert?
Thanks in advance

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by dedenla

Friends are coming up to visit us (newbies) this weekend and cannot leave on Monday. I've seen the lines of cars exiting LV on Sundays. Will they do better leaving at 6 am or 7 am? Sunday, or in the evening 5 pm? Has anyone done this route often on Sundays - I don't want them to have an 8 hour return trip for what is routinely a 4 hour trip.
Any websites that show traffic through the Mojave Desert?
Thanks in advance

I did the reverse trip for many years...to LA on Thursday or Friday and back on Sunday or Monday. You do not want to leave LV on Sunday PM. I would suggest crack of dawn on Sunday...have breakfast at the Mad Greek. Get into LA in the late morning. That will make a pleasant and quick trip. By 10AM it starts to build heavy.

[guinnessjim]

Originally Posted by dedenla

Friends are coming up to visit us (newbies) this weekend and cannot leave on Monday. I've seen the lines of cars exiting LV on Sundays. Will they do better leaving at 6 am or 7 am? Sunday, or in the evening 5 pm? Has anyone done this route often on Sundays - I don't want them to have an 8 hour return trip for what is routinely a 4 hour trip.
Any websites that show traffic through the Mojave Desert?
Thanks in advance

i assume you are talking heading from LV to LA on sunday?

if so, then yes, if you leave early or stay later you can avoid the brunt of the traffic (which can be kinda ugly at times).

when i lived in LA, i had to deal w/ the traffic almost always as we could never get our stuff together earlier than 10am (often it was more like 11-noon). it generally adds an hour or so on to the drive (so decide if you want to spend that hour sleeping or in the car). however, i would imagine if you could get rolling by 7 or 8 you would be in good shape and miss the worst of it.

i have also driven on occasion on sunday nights. the two times i left LV after 6pm and had smooth sailing until the big down hill b4 turning toward LA (15/215 split). no idea if that was the norm or if i was lucky, though.

[WOHR]

If I leave for San Diego on a Friday morning and come back to LV on a Sunday morning, will I be good or will I be stuck in traffic?

[cjski21]

Send them south to Needles where they can cut across on 40. They will meet back up with 15 in Barstow. It adds about 80 miles to the trip but is quicker on a Sunday afternoon than taking 15 all the way.

[RandalR]

Originally Posted by WOHR

If I leave for San Diego on a Friday morning and come back to LV on a Sunday morning, will I be good or will I be stuck in traffic?

You should be fine - Sunday morning into Las Vegas is good. I've left Burbank at 5:00 am on a Sunday morning and been eating breakfast at the Wynn by 8:30.

[Cal07]

As long as you leave LV before 9:00 AM in the morning you should be fine. Traffic in LA is a nightmare 24/7 regardless. Traffic in SD is always a smooth cake walk compared to the LA area.

[toyojo]

leaving from LA : never on a friday afternoon.
leaving from vegas: never on a sunday morning past 8am.

other than that, you should be ok