Los Angeles - West Hollywood to LAX, how far?

I have some friends who I'd met on a trip a few years ago who live in West Hollywood, we've kept in touch and I am debating if it is practical to meet next month when I transit throught LAX. Before I ask them, I'd like to know how far West Hollywood is from LAX. I will arrive in LAX at 9.30 pm on a weekday, and I am looking at a flight that departs 4 hours later, at 1.30 am. I know that this isn't the most practical time to meet.. Is West Hollywood far from LAX? If so, I won't suggest meeting up. Also, I can book a shorter connection of 2 hours which is what I'll do if meeting my friends isn't practical. I can't stop in LA for a few days due to time constraints. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.

In Southern California, distances are measured in time, rather than miles. You don't mention whether you're driving or looking for public transportation. If you're driving, you're going to have to a shuttle bus to the rental car pick-up. The buses run every 10 to 20 minutes, and the ride to the rental car areas is about another 10 minutes. It will take you an additional 10 minutes to get to the 405 N. You'll want the Santa Monica Blvd. exit which, depending on traffic, may be a 15 to 30+ minute ride. From the Santa Monica Blvd. exit to West Hollywood can be another 15 to 30+ minutes, again, depending on traffic.

Arriving at 9:30 am, you'll probably miss the bulk of rush hour. However, traffic picks up again around noon.

My personal opinion only, but I wouldn't try it. Why not ask your friends to meet you at the airport? I think Encounters, the space-ship looking theme restaurant, is open that early. If not, there are plenty of places both inside and outside of the airport where you can grab a bite.

If you have an address, you can get a distance from Google Maps, Mapquest, etc., Simple. How long would it take to go there? In L.A., hard to tell. Your friends would know best. How far they are from a freeway is one factor. I'd forget about renting a car. You'd take a taxi? Expensive! I think a good $30+ each way. Remember, you need to be back at LAX in plenty of time to go through security for your next flight.

Encounter's Web site says dinner is served until 9 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and 9:30 on other nights. Not practical for you. If they're willing to make the trek, I'd just ask them to meet you immediately outside security gates of your arrival terminal (or the termnal you're departing from, if it's different). I personally wouldn't book flights with less than a 2-hour connection at LAX unless both flights were using the same terminal.

If it's 9:30 pm and you'll have your BP for 1:30 am flight you shouldn't have any problems if you take a taxi (just make sure you'll find one for the return). Half hour each way perhaps a few minutes more depending on location.

Rental car can be trickier - offsite location will easily add 30 min-1 hr for pickup and return. Maybe worth booking it in case you get an early arrival and know LA well enough. You do have the flexibility in this case so the worst case scenario is cutting your meeting to half hour and heading back.

If you're familiar with them enough to ask them to drive to you, which would be the most practical if you want to do more than just get to their place, say hi, then take off, you can eat at some of the restaurants close to the airport in El Segundo or Manhattan Beach or in Westchester.

If you're familiar with them enough to ask them to drive to you, which would be the most practical if you want to do more than just get to their place, say hi, then take off, you can eat at some of the restaurants close to the airport in El Segundo or Manhattan Beach or in Westchester.

I'd phone them and say you were wondering if you could all get together someplace. If they suggest nothing but you taking a taxi to them, that may tell you something, and you'll have to judge whether the cost if worth it for a short visit. If they say they're willing to drive to you but just can't deal with driving into, and parking at, LAX, then you can ask for suggestions (e.g., any of a number of restaurants in Marina del Rey, or the Proud Bird on the edge of the runways, the casino at Hollywood Park). You may still have a $10-15 taxi ride each way.

Traffic should be ok but you still need to built in time on the 405. Late night construction or an accident would not be uncommon. So if you need to be back at LAX by 12:30AM you would need to leave West Hollywood by 11:15-11:30PM if you have a rental car and no later than 11:45PM-midnight with a taxi. So you are not talking about much time to spend in WeHo.

As others have indicated, it would be better if your friends met you at LAX or maybe half way around Marina del Ray.

The good thing is the TSA lines should be pretty short. I go to LAX T4 around midnight every week and it's almost always empty.

Thank you for the helpful replies.

Yes, even with a four hour layover it really doesn't give us much time to meet in person and have a chat.

I'll contact my friends to check if their schedule works with my travel date before I book tickets for either a two hour or four hour layover.