Traffic to LAX at 5pm (Long Beach, Irvine: rental, construction, shop)

[Havnfun]

I have to be at LAX tomorrow at 6:00pm and I have no idea what time I would need to leave Mission Viejo. What is the traffic like heading north around 5:00pm? I usually don't have to be at LAX until 9:30pm so I don't ever worry about the traffic. It usually takes about 50 minutes.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Your user name will be most inappropriate on that drive. I would leave by 3:30 or 4 at the latest. The 405 north through Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley is a parking lot by 4. Then there's the construction on the 405/22/605 area. Then there's Long Beach and the South Bay. ugh.

[Fontucky]

This can be avoided by insisting the traveler uses the shuttle to Laguna Hills from LAX.

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Your user name will be most inappropriate on that drive. I would leave by 3:30 or 4 at the latest. The 405 north through Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley is a parking lot by 4. Then there's the construction on the 405/22/605 area. Then there's Long Beach and the South Bay. ugh.

Yup. 55 to 105 via 405 is a 1:20 to 1:45 drive at that time of night, so you'll want to allow ~2 hours since you're catching a flight, plus however long it takes you to get from MV to the 55/SNA

[MB8abovetherim]

Yeah, I tried trekking to LAX from KTown at 5 a few months ago. It took almost 3 hours. Leave early. Leave early and Leave early. Obviously the 405 is the best and most direct way from Orange County. I'd leave at noon, and hang out at the In N' Out on Sepulveda till 4pm lol but that's just me. Or you can catch a ferry to Catalina and then swim to LAX, you might get there quicker

[Coldjensens]

If it is critical, I would leave 4 hours. If not critical (i.e. you are just picking someone up), then 3 hours. They can wait if they have to.

There are better routes than straight 405 sometimes. You can take 5 - 605 south (1 mile) then 105 straight to the airport. Or you can take the 91 from the 5 or 57. Which one is best depends on the conditions that day. Personally I have better luck witht he 5-605-105, than taking the 405. However sometimes one route is awful and the other is smooth sailing, it just depends on he day. If you can get somone to go with you so you can use carpool lanes, you can save a lot of time and headache sometimes. Once in a while, the carpool lanes are slower than ragualr lanes, but it is rare.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Havnfun

I have to be at LAX tomorrow at 6:00pm and I have no idea what time I would need to leave Mission Viejo. What is the traffic like heading north around 5:00pm? I usually don't have to be at LAX until 9:30pm so I don't ever worry about the traffic. It usually takes about 50 minutes.

Do you mean walk into the terminal at 6PM or arrive at the parking lot at 6PM? Huge difference, like 30-45 minutes difference if you park at one of the offsite long term parking lots and find a space and wait for a bus and circle the terminal....

The only "good" thing is Monday afternoon traffic is usually the lightest of the week. However this is Thanksgiving week. It isn't normal.

If you are going to drive and park for sure at long term parking, leave at 4PM so you don't have to worry. I think (check) LAX has free wifi now so if it were me, I'd rather be an hour early than a minute late. You can sit in the terminal, kill time people watching and post on city-data.

[Havnfun]

Originally Posted by Charles

Do you mean walk into the terminal at 6PM or arrive at the parking lot at 6PM? Huge difference, like 30-45 minutes difference if you park at one of the offsite long term parking lots and find a space and wait for a bus and circle the terminal....

The only "good" thing is Monday afternoon traffic is usually the lightest of the week. However this is Thanksgiving week. It isn't normal.

If you are going to drive and park for sure at long term parking, leave at 4PM so you don't have to worry. I think (check) LAX has free wifi now so if it were me, I'd rather be an hour early than a minute late. You can sit in the terminal, kill time people watching and post on city-data.

Picking up hubby at Terminal 2 flight arrives at 5:57 so I can add another 20 minutes. I have a meeting at 1:30 in Irvine so I guess I will go shopping for a while after and then head to the airport

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Havnfun

Picking up hubby at Terminal 2 flight arrives at 5:57 so I can add another 20 minutes. I have a meeting at 1:30 in Irvine so I guess I will go shopping for a while after and then head to the airport

I think the cheapest/easiest thing to do (assuming he has no checked baggage) is to leave MV around 430, find a coffee shop like Starbucks near LAX and head to it. There's one on Sepulveda about a mile south near Grand in El Segundo. It's easy from the 105 too. Worst case you get there 5600. His plane lands around 6, when he is leaving the gate (five minutes or less to walk to the curb), he cell phones you to meet him at the curb of T2. You drive over there - ensure he gets there first because the bulldog cops don't dig on people just sitting there - and you pick him up.

Yes, you are going to get stuck in traffic. But the alternative is waiting around for hours. Or, he could grab a shuttle back from LAX like the Irvine Flyaway.

In the meantime, you watch the traffic online looking for tie ups on the freeways and alternative routes.
Also, you monitor his flight so you can see if there is a delay.

[creeksitter]

If I need to be at LAX by late morning, what time would I need to leave Laguna Beach? My plane leaves at 2 - I presume I need to be at the rental return by 11? Will 2 hours give me enough time? Is the 5 to 105 route also recommended or will the 405 be tolerable after rush hour.