Continental tools · free
What time should I leave for LAX?
A calculator that does the real math: drive time, TSA buffer, terminal walk, traffic for time-of-day and day-of-week. Built by Continental — the LA chauffeur service that does this thousands of times a year.
How the math works
Drive time: per-origin base + time-of-day multiplier (rush-hour stacks are 50-70% longer than off-peak).
Day-of-week: Friday adds 10 min in the PM. Sunday subtracts 10 min.
TSA + check-in: 30 min base. 60 min if international (TBIT queues + customs/check-in).
Terminal walk: 10 min base. 20 min for TBIT (gates 200+).
Want the real precision?
Book a Continental chauffeur
We track your flight live + monitor traffic, then text you the exact pickup time the morning of. No more estimates.
Book LAX transfer →About this calculator
How does the LAX departure time calculator work?
It combines four real-world inputs: the typical drive time from your origin neighborhood, a traffic multiplier for the time of day and day of week, a 30-minute TSA + check-in buffer (45 for international), and a 10-minute terminal-walk allowance for Tom Bradley arrivals. The output is the recommended pickup time at your origin.
Is this calculator accurate?
It's a starting estimate based on average conditions for each origin × time-of-day combination. Real-world traffic varies — major sporting events, road closures, and weather all add variance. For the most accurate recommendation, book a Continental chauffeur — we monitor live traffic and your flight, and text you the exact pickup time the morning of.
Why does this give me a 30-minute buffer?
Because the upside of leaving early is a free 30 minutes in the lounge and the downside of leaving late is a missed flight. The cost is asymmetric, so we over-budget on purpose. Frequent fliers do this instinctively; first-time travelers underestimate the cushion.
Does this work for international flights?
Yes — toggle the International switch and we add an additional 60 minutes for TBIT's longer terminal walk to gates 200+, plus international check-in queue time.