Expand / Collapse search
☰

These are LA's worst intersections: report

By
Published  February 24, 2026 11:41am PST
Traffic
FOX 11
LA's worst intersections

LA's worst intersections

There were no intersections in the San Fernando Valley that made the LA Times’ top 14 "worst" in the city.

The Brief

    • A new LA Times analysis has identified Highland Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood as the city's "worst" intersection.
    • The ranking highlights 14 problematic junctions where high traffic volume near shopping centers, business hubs, and freeway "shortcuts" creates dangerous choke points.
    • Despite their notoriety, the "Fairfax Asterisk" and the San Fernando Valley region failed to make the top of the "worst" list.

LOS ANGELES - Navigating the sprawling grid of Los Angeles remains one of the most daunting challenges for Southern California drivers, with certain intersections proving far more dangerous than others. 

A new LA Times analysis of the city's most complex transit hubs identifies where high traffic volume and frequent crashes trigger persistent safety risks and major delays.

What we know:

The study identifies Highland Avenue and Sunset Boulevard as the top offender, recording 312 crashes since 2010 and the highest traffic volume in the city. 

Following closely in second is Sepulveda and Lincoln boulevards near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), a known bottleneck for travelers attempting to bypass airport congestion.

What they're saying:

"The common denominator for the list was clear: Intersections at key traffic points, often near major shopping and business centers as well as freeways, naturally create choke points," researchers explained. "Many of the worst intersections were designed to take a lot of traffic. They’ve been optimized for car movement."

Local perspective:

Here's the rest of the list:

3. Martin Luther King and Crenshaw boulevards (Leimert Park and Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw)

4. 3rd and Alvarado streets (Westlake)

5. El Segundo Boulevard and Hoover Street (Athens)

6. Los Feliz and Griffith Park boulevards (Los Feliz)

7. Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset Boulevard (Pacific Palisades)

8. Santa Monica Boulevard and Highland Avenue (Hollywood)

9. Fountain and Hyperion avenues (Silver Lake)

10. Crenshaw Boulevard and 9th Street (Central LA)

11. La Cienega Boulevard and Centinela Avenue (Inglewood)

12. Vermont Avenue and 28th Street (West Adams)

13. Wilshire and Sepulveda boulevards (Westwood)

14. Pacific Coast Highway and Channel Road/Chautauqua Boulevard (Santa Monica)

The Source: This report is based on a comprehensive data analysis conducted by LA Times researchers, who looked at traffic volume statistics and collision records dating back to 2010.

TrafficLos AngelesTravel NewsTravelTransportation