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 ~15%.
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.