The Los Angeles Commute Guide: Freeway survival reality
Commutes, congestion, transit, and parking: what getting around Los Angeles really takes.
Jessica, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Jessica is a born and raised Angeleno who has spent 30 years bouncing between East LA, the Westside, and the Valley, usually with a trunk full of boxes and a strong opinion about neighborhoods. She moved eight times between 2013 and 2023 and genuinely loves it, especially the decluttering part and the chance to reinvent herself with each new move. A former teacher of eight years, she has taught everyone from pre K kids learning their ABCs to high schoolers stressing over college essays. She loves California for the beaches, sunshine, hidden lakes, and hikes that feel like they belong in another state entirely. Her guilty pleasure is the Custard Front Drive donut from Donut Friend, she road trips whenever possible, and she is slowly working through a bucket list of every national park. She lives with two bonded cats, Marty the black cat and Jelly the tabby. At Snappy Scout, Jessica edits California guides with deep local instincts built over decades of real CA living.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
How Do You Get Around Los Angeles?
Commutes, congestion, transit, and parking: the daily logistics nobody puts on the listing.
The time I spend getting to/from work every day is
A meditation retreat I didn't sign up for
Traffic congestion areas to avoid
The 405 during any hour that ends in o'clock
Ability to get around without a car
Technically possible if can look past the 27-minute waits when you miss the bus
Locals dream of driving around in a
Vintage Bronco with surfboards always strapped on top
The reality is that most locals drive
A leased white Tesla or a Prius pretending to be humble
Quirky local driving habit
Treating turn signals like they cost extra
The likelihood of finding parking
Somewhere between finding Bigfoot and winning the lottery
#1 driving tip
The carpool lane is worth making new friends for—even if you never speak again
Where I Go for a Quiet Escape
I still hike the Eaton Canyon Trail at least once a year. You have the creek by your side (and have to cross it a few times) before you get to the waterfall at the end. There’s usually enough water to dip your toes in. And, if there’s a generous puddle, people swim!
— Jessica Montes
California Local Expert
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