Downtown - YYZ (How Long does it take at 4:40pm?)
 

Hi everyone,

I am very familiar with driving from downtown to YYZ, and normally it takes me about 30mins, but this is either at night or during the day.

I have a flight to LHR that departs at 19:40, and I have a meeting downtown, and so the earliest I can depart Yonge street/Dundas is about 4:40pm. How long do you think it will take to drive to Pearson at that time of the day on a weekday? I am hoping nothing more than an hour, giving me a clear 2 hrs at the airport prior to my flight.

Any experience/suggestions would be appreciated,

Thank you!

Usually about 40-45 mins, but suggest you give yourself an hour.

ZH

Ok, thanks, that is what I thought. Well my schedule should give me 1 hour for time to airport + 2 hours at airport. Worse case scenario I only had 1.5 hours at airport.

I'm assuming you are traveling to the USA? If so, US Customs can get very busy. If you have Nexus, that would speed up getting through customs.

ZH.

:confused:

Are you taking a cab/shuttle, or driving yourself? I'd be a little more concerned if you had to park first.

Stay off the Gardiner, 427 and just take Dundas to Ossington, turn right north to Dupont turn left/west, go to Jane, turn right north to Dundas, then left west to Scarlett Road, north on Scarlett, then west on Eglinton and then the 427 ramp right to the airport.

One problem on the freeways in rush hour can cause untold delays.

If you know the right roads in the city it is actually pretty fast, Dupont especially. You can get to Dupont even before Ossington at Spadina or Bathurst as well.

Optimal directions and timing: I would do Dundas to Spadina, right/north to Harbord (left turn signal and left turn lane) to Ossington (end of the road on Harbord) then right turn north to Dupont and on to Jane and the rest above.

Harbord has no traffic at rush hour to speak of. Ossington north to Dupont ditto. Dupont (note at Dundas it turns into Annette) not much, and on you go.

The advantage of Eglinton is the slight sniff of traffic you can go north on Islington, Kipling or Martin Grove to Dixon which is otherwise Airport Road.

I will be taking a pre-booked cab actually, so will be dropped at terminal entrance.

Thanks for this detailed info, I will print it off and make sure not to take the freeways. Can I ask what time does rush hour traffic start to build up around the city/freeways? Would it be advisable to leave perhaps 20mins earlier, (I think I can try to leave meeting earlier given circumstances).

exactly. Yes, an hour will be good.

3:30 and lately, with construction, getting down university, yonge, bay and jarvis is the problem. Not to mention poor enforcement that allows two lanes on one way to be occupied by taxis and cars waiting to pick people up and then add construction.

Hmm, Ok I am starting to think leaving around 4:20pm rather than 4:40pm might be a better idea . . .

Add 30 minutes on a Friday afternoon

It will be Wednesday, but just to play it safe Il try leaving around 4:25pm so that I allow for a little more time.

The Prebooked airport limo drivers are very good at getting you to the airport fast due to the "flat rate" service. Faster drive means more fares per shift.

They are also in radio contact with dispatch updating traffic.