Interstate 405 - North (San Diego Fwy)

Interstate 405 is more than just a road; it is a symbol of Los Angeles itself. It represents the scale, the ambition, and the immense challenges of mobility in a vast, car-dependent metropolis. It is an engineering marvel that is perpetually overwhelmed, a necessary daily pain, and daily reality for millions. To drive the 405 is to understand the very pulse—and the gridlock—of modern Los Angeles.

The freeway begins at a massive, multi-level interchange with I-5 in Irvine, known as the "El Toro Y." It immediately becomes a wide freeway (often 10+ lanes) running through the heart of Orange County, serving cities like Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, and Huntington Beach. before crossing into LA County. This is the most critical and infamous section. The freeway cuts through the heart of some of LA's most important and densely populated areas like Long Beach and the Long Beach Airport. it also goes near LAX. The highway provides the main vehicular access to Los Angeles International Airport via the Century and La Tijera Blvds exits. It then serves the key cities of Culver City, Baldwin Hills, and Inglewood. The "Stack" Interchange: It meets I-10 (the Santa Monica Freeway) in a complex, sprawling interchange that is a major chokepoint.

Through the Sepulveda Pass: The highway winds through the Santa Monica Mountains, connecting the Westside to the San Fernando Valley. This pass is a notorious bottleneck.

After descending from the pass, the freeway runs through the southern part of the San Fernando Valley, serving Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, and Encino.
It then intersects with another critical east-west route, US-101 (the Ventura Freeway), at another massive and congested interchange.

The freeway ends where it re-joins I-5 in the Sylmar/San Fernando area.



The I-405 routinely holds the title for the worst traffic congestion in the U.S. Its annual traffic volume is staggering, with some sections seeing over 379,000 vehicles per day. as a result, The highway became a national news story during two planned closures in 2011 and 2012 for a major bridge demolition and reconstruction. The feared gridlock, dubbed "Carmageddon," was widely publicized, though the public heeded warnings and traffic was lighter than expected.

There is No "Good" Time: While rush "hour" (roughly 6:00-10:00 AM and 3:00-7:00 PM) is worst, the 405 is prone to severe congestion at almost any time of day or night. Weekends can be equally bad. The "Fast" Lane is Relative. The OC Express lanes, which often requires a FasTrak transponder and 3+ persons, is the only semi-reliable way to gain speed, and even it can be slow.

The highway is in a near-perpetual state of expansion and repair. The $1.6 billion Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project, completed in 2014, added carpool lanes but did not "solve" the congestion. The 405 is a staple of Los Angeles culture, referenced endlessly in movies, TV shows, and music. It is a shared experience—and a shared frustration—for nearly every Angeleno.

Length: 72 miles
Drivetime: 1hr 15min+