LA to Vegas Drive time
Hi, we will be doing Warner Bros tour on a Tuesday at 2pm and then driving straight to Vegas. It looks like the tour takes about 3 hours.
Is 5pm a crazy time to make this drive? Should we get dinner and leave LA slightly later?
What if we managed to leave slightly earlier, like 4pm, would that help significantly?
The drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas is roughly 270–280 miles, typically taking about 4.5 to 5 hours under normal traffic conditions. However, traffic leaving LA can be very heavy in the late afternoon, especially on weekdays, which can significantly increase your drive time.
Leaving after your Warner Bros. tour at 5 pm puts you right in the middle of LA’s evening rush hour, especially on the freeways connecting Hollywood, the 101, and the I-15. This could easily add 1–2 hours to your drive just to get out of the city.
If you can leave slightly earlier, around 4 pm, you would still encounter some rush hour traffic, but it may be less intense than at 5 pm. The difference could save you 30–60 minutes, depending on the exact route and how quickly you navigate through LA traffic.
Other considerations:
- Stopping for dinner in LA before leaving can be convenient, but you risk leaving closer to peak traffic. A quicker option might be grabbing takeout or snacks to eat on the road.
- If your goal is to maximize drive efficiency, consider leaving immediately after your tour ends, even if that means a slightly later dinner stop en route.
- Be prepared for slower traffic through San Bernardino and the Cajon Pass, as that area can be congested, especially on weekdays.
In summary, leaving at 5 pm is feasible but will likely be stressful due to rush hour. Leaving at 4 pm could help, but the main advantage would be avoiding the very worst of LA traffic. If possible, leaving immediately after the tour with a packed snack might be the smoothest option, allowing you to make better time and possibly stop for dinner along the way.
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