Los Angeles LAX to Vegas driving time - real experiences?

[nonuts]

Hi All,

Just wondering if there are any locals that can comment on how long the journey from LAX to Vegas is likely to take in the real world? Google reckons it's about 41/2 hours but I'm wondering how realistic that is. If it's any help it'll be the first week of July and likely mid week we'd be doing the journey.

Cheers,
Ben

[Sooty]

The longest part is getting out of LA. But I'd think that 4.5 hrs should be comfortable. I drove from Long Beach to Vegas in under 4 hrs in November, keeping to the speed limits (+/-6mph).

[GarryA]

4hrs

[Captain Cadillac]

You can do it in 4 hours, traffic can be heavy on Friday afternoons/evenings going and Sunday nights coming back to LA as a lot of people in LA run there for the weekend.

Speed limit's 70, keep it a hair under 80 and you should be OK. The CHP is either nonexistent and you can run with the 90+ traffic or they're everywhere, kind of hit and miss.

[Burba]

Ditto everything here

[nonuts]

Thanks all, very useful to know.

[Stu R]

I've done it in a whisker under 4 hours, but I'd budget 5 just in case.

[Robatr0n]

A little late to the party (what's new?) but when Cat and I did it we managed just less than 4 hours.

As everyone else says, I reckon traffic plays a major part in it and we just got a little lucky.

[nonuts]

I've booked what will hopefully be a Mustang in Vegas now as I decided for the ~12 hours it would have taken for both ways I'd rather not have a corvette. Still a right pain in the arse as I really wanted a Corvette for this trip.

[BckFlash]

Even later to the party....I did the drive from LA to Vegas on the day when 'a few' others were heading there for the Labour Day weekend. Even with all the traffic, fuel and comfort breaks, it took 4 and a bit hours.

Not really much to see unless you go off the main road. There is the worlds largest thermometer at one point though - was reading 46C when we passed it...

[Robatr0n]

nonuts said:

I've booked what will hopefully be a Mustang in Vegas now as I decided for the ~12 hours it would have taken for both ways I'd rather not have a corvette. Still a right pain in the arse as I really wanted a Corvette for this trip.

It's a shame about the Corvette but the Mustang isn't too bad if you get the 2011 3.7 V6. A little over 300bhp and only marginally slower than the 2010 Mustang GT apparently!

[brumma]

The drive back to LA from Vegas seems to take about 12 hours (especially after 3 days without sleep and with a mind-shattering hangover).