Southern California is a place where freeway congestion is commonplace and stop-and-go is a way of life. In its 2012 report on nationwide traffic congestion, the Texas Transportation Institute ranked Los Angeles second, right behind Washington D.C., as the city with the worst traffic tie-ups and least reliable freeways in the country. Whereas heavy traffic once was encountered only during rush hours, there is now little difference in traffic volume any time of day. A drive from Los Angeles International Airport to San Diego that used to take a little over two hours might take twice as long today. However, there are alternate routes that might ease that frustration at least a little.
Traffic Information
- To try and avoid heavy traffic, you need to know where the congestion is. The California Highway Patrol and Caltrans provide that information on their websites, and local radio stations such as KFWB-AM 980, KNX-AM 1070 and KFI-AM 640 all broadcast regular up-to-the-minute traffic reports throughout the day. It’s also important to know which road is which, as freeways in California are referred to by name as often as they are by number. Once you know where the congestion is, a very good way to avoid at least some of it is by using the high-occupancy vehicle or diamond carpool lanes; however, be warned that use requirements are very specific, so don’t wander into one if you’re driving alone. The fines for misuse are severe.
The Simplest Route
- The simplest route from LAX to San Diego is to turn right out of the airport onto Highway 1 (Sepulveda), pick up the 105 (the Century Freeway), head east a few miles to the 405 (the San Diego Freeway) and head south. The San Diego Freeway merges with Interstate 5 (the Golden State Freeway) just outside of Orange County and continues south all the way to San Diego. The problem with this route is that the San Diego Freeway is the most congested freeways in the country, so when it’s busy -- which is usually -- estimated drive times can double or triple.
Alternatives
- When the 405 is excessively busy, you can avoid the 405 altogether by taking Highway 1 -- which begins as Sepulveda at the airport and becomes Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach -- past the beach cities to San Pedro. Then hop on the 110 (the Harbor Freeway), and head east to the 91 (the Riverside Freeway). Continue south on the 91 until it merges with I-5, and continue to San Diego. Because the Pacific Coast Highway is a surface street riddled with traffic lights, it sometimes can be as frustrating to navigate as the 405. An alternate to this route is to take the 105 to the 405 as far as the 110, and then proceed east on 110 to the 91, which is usually at least a little less congested than the San Diego Freeway.
Toll Roads
- You can bypass a lot of Orange County traffic on the 405 by picking up State Route 73 (the San Joaquin Transportation Corridor). This is one of California’s few toll roads, privately owned by investors and managed by the San Joaquin Transportation Corridor Agency. Because Californians don’t like the idea of toll roads, it isn’t very popular with drivers, commuters or investors, so you're likely to have a clear lane even when the diamond lanes on the 405 beside it are jammed. If you decide to take the toll road, be warned that it is the most expensive in the country, and not all the toll booths are manned; exact change is necessary, and the fines for missing a toll booth are relatively extreme.
