Rush hour from LA to Anaheim

[Safari23]

We'll be leaving the LA area on a Friday afternoon to come to Anaheim. What time does traffic get bad? If we left around 3:30, is that too late? How long could it take to get there? What's the latest we should leave? TIA

 

[midnight star]

It will be bad by 1:30 or 2. What part of LA are you coming from?
For reference, when I leave the Westside around 2 to go down there, it will take an hour at the least (the longest it took me was 1 hour and 30 minutes). Make sure to use Waze and Google maps to watch for shorter routes and for potential accidents.


If you can somehow leave after 8 pm, that would be ideal. Maybe even 8:30 or 9 pm.

 

[ParkHopper1]

If you can somehow leave after 8 pm, that would be ideal. Maybe even 8:30 or 9 pm.

I for one would rather just deal with an extra 45 min of traffic and have more time on site at DTD and the resort district vs just killing time waiting for traffic to subside. I know a lot of folks subscribe to that theory but it always seemed like MORE of a wast of time vs getting to where ya wanna be sooner than later.

 

[DizneyMommy]

We'll be leaving the LA area on a Friday afternoon to come to Anaheim. What time does traffic get bad? If we left around 3:30, is that too late? How long could it take to get there? What's the latest we should leave? TIA

If you can take freeways with carpool lanes it will be a little better. I would just suck it up and go for it if it were me!

 

[taffy]

Could take upto 2 hours maybe more. I usually avoid Friday evenings

 

[Safari23]

I think we'll be leaving from The Grove at that time. And there will be 2 adults and a child, is that enough for carpool lanes? Ours are more than one person here to use them.

Oh and thanks for all of you replies. I appreciate it.

 

[Winnowill]

A few years ago (2012), it took us a whopping FOUR HOURS to get from Simi Valley in the north (which we left at 2:30) to Costa Mesa (next to Anaheim). Granted, the GPS we were using at the time didn't have traffic info, so we were in the worst of it. But still - FOUR HOURS to go 80 miles.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

For the OP: definitely check Waze and Google Maps day of. If it looks like there are accidents and traffic is already heavy, maybe you could stay in the Hollywood area until things ease up? Maybe take in a movie at Disney's El Capitan and grab dinner somewhere? And, to answer your question above, yes, your group qualifies for the carpool lane.

 

[midnight star]

I think we'll be leaving from The Grove at that time. And there will be 2 adults and a child, is that enough for carpool lanes? Ours are more than one person here to use them.

Oh and thanks for all of you replies. I appreciate it.

Yes you can use the carpool lanes. And the Grove is in the city more, so I would guess that it will take an hour or more to get there. Just like what everyone suggested, use GPS and watch traffic.

 

[midnight star]

A few years ago (2012), it took us a whopping FOUR HOURS to get from Simi Valley in the north (which we left at 2:30) to Costa Mesa (next to Anaheim). Granted, the GPS we were using at the time didn't have traffic info, so we were in the worst of it. But still - FOUR HOURS to go 80 miles.

YIKES. That just sounds awful.

 

[Winnowill]

YIKES. That just sounds awful.

It was, especially when you consider that we have gotten to Anaheim from Phoenix in five.

 

[dina444444]

I think we'll be leaving from The Grove at that time. And there will be 2 adults and a child, is that enough for carpool lanes? Ours are more than one person here to use them.

Oh and thanks for all of you replies. I appreciate it.

I would plan for it to be about 90 minutes to 2 hours from the grove to Anaheim at 3:30 on a Friday.

 

[lilmissfoodie]

I think we'll be leaving from The Grove at that time. And there will be 2 adults and a child, is that enough for carpool lanes? Ours are more than one person here to use them.

Oh and thanks for all of you replies. I appreciate it.

Make sure if you use Waze to put in that you are carpool capable (it's in the routes section).