California - Driving SJC/San Fernando Valley on Memorial Day Weekend

Hi Folks,

We live in Silicon Valley and will be driving to Southern CA, specifically Sherman Oaks, to see a friend there on May 27 (leaving at noon).

Will there be any traffic issues going south at that time?

We plan to go 101 S to 152, taking the Pacheco Pass Highway to I-5 and then go I-5 all the way south, then go to I-405 South once we're in the SFV, then get off near the junction of 101 and I-405.

I anticipate that there might be a bit of congestion on 152 going east though it won't be too bad before they built the overpass/interchange with 156.

Going back, we expect to leave around 6 or 7 am on Monday, 05/30 to beat the traffic, in reverse - I-405 to I-5 to CA 152 to US 101.

I think that an early start may help us, unless traffic is really bad...anyone can advise any alternative routes if it is heavy? Thanks.

We live in Silicon Valley and will be driving to Southern CA, specifically Sherman Oaks, to see a friend there on May 27 (leaving at noon).

Will there be any traffic issues going south at that time?

I doubt you'll see significant traffic slowdowns anywhere on your route. Starting at noon means you'll beat the traffic on 101 and the Pacheco pass.

Going back, we expect to leave around 6 or 7 am on Monday, 05/30 to beat the traffic, in reverse - I-405 to I-5 to CA 152 to US 101.

Leaving bright and early means you'll avoid slowdowns in the LA area. Getting back to Silicon Valley before evening means you'll avoid the crush of people returning. Probably you could start your trip 3 hours later and still be fine.

Always tough to predict traffic patterns, but I'm guessing slightly heavier than usual traffic on I-5, with your biggest chance for traffic being as you enter the SF Valley, since you may be getting there in the midst of rush hour. True, the worst of the traffic should be heading north, but there's always enough traffic on 5 and 405 (and 101 at the end, unless you're taking surface streets from the 405, or even the Hollywood Freeway) that I would bank on some slow down there. If you keep your radio turned to news stations you may get word of any traffic tie-ups and can adjust accordingly (e.g., taking the Hollywood Freeway rather than the San Diego Freeway from 5 in order to get into Sherman Oaks; I'd probably take that route, anyway but don't know your exact destination); Of course, we don't know exactly how fast you'll drive, how long you'll stop for meals (Harris Ranch Cafe, anyone?), etc., so don't know exactly when you'll arrive.

I'm thinking you will again hit heavier than normal traffic on I-5 on your return. I don't know what it'll be like as you near SJ, etc. I'm more familiar with Southern California.

I hope it's a good friend. It's not a difficult drive on most days but still a long one for just a weekend. Good luck.

Thanks for the info, darthbimmer and SoCal. I heard from a friend who had made a drive to SoCal that there can be a slow down on I-5 heading south not long after the Grapevine, e.g. around Santa Clarita, headed into the SFV. Has anyone experienced that?

Also, are there HOV lanes on 405 South when it branches off of I-5 South from San Fernando to the 101 interchange?

Thanks for the info, darthbimmer and SoCal. I heard from a friend who had made a drive to SoCal that there can be a slow down on I-5 heading south not long after the Grapevine, e.g. around Santa Clarita, headed into the SFV. Has anyone experienced that?

Also, are there HOV lanes on 405 South when it branches off of I-5 South from San Fernando to the 101 interchange?

At the time you will be going south on the 5, the majority of traffic will be heading north, out of the valley. But, with the holiday Friday to compound things, yes, I do remember traffic heading south, as well. What's going to be bad is the whole stretch of the 405. If you must leave at noon, then there's not much you can do about it, but if you can delay your trip to arrive at the 405 after around 7:30 or 8:00 PM, you will be much better off. While there are carpool lanes on that stretch of the 405, it's not a guarantee for avoiding traffic. They can also get backed up.

While I can't comment about the traffic up north, traffic around the SFV can really only be guaranteed to be light from the hours of about midnight to 5:00 AM, and that's just if there's no construction going on and no accidents. There's major construction going on south of the 101 on the 405 (adding a northbound carpool lane and a bunch of infrastructure improvements) which you shouldn't be affected by, so at least you have that in your favor.

If things seem really bad, at least the surface streets around the 405 are, for the most part, are on a nice grid, with all of them meeting at intersections at 90 degree angles. So, you could exit the freeway and get on one of the streets, heading south, and it will run right alongside the freeway.

Alternatives (check the traffic on the way, if possible) Several AM radio stations have traffic reports every 10 minutes, or so. AM 640, 980, 1070 are a few.

1. If things are looking bad up on the 5, you could exit at Balboa (you'll see an exit up about 3 miles north of the 118. You can take Balboa south through the valley all the way to the 101. It may not save much time, but at least you can see the city instead of the back of the can in front of you.

2. Forget the 405, and take the 5 all the way to the 170 south.




As for heading north on Monday morning, the earlier, the better.

thanks for the advice!

I shall keep my ears glued to radio traffic reports, and also consider alternate routes as you mentioned - both in terms of freeways that you've mentioned, and surface streets, such as Balboa Blvd. and Sepulveda Blvd., which run N-S roughtly parallel to the 405. As long as I can get to Ventura Blvd. I can manage it.