Optimizing the LA–SF Super Commute

A Data-Driven Guide Using SFO, SJC, LAX, and BUR

TL;DR

After two months of super‑commuting from Beverly Hills in LA to Menlo Park, I recorded every segment of the journey through LAX, BUR, SFO, and SJC. I wanted to see whether one combination of airports was meaningfully better, faster, or cheaper. The data showed that BUR is the most consistent airport, LAX recorded the single fastest ride ever, and SFO and SJC were essentially identical for Silicon Valley arrivals. Monday mornings are surprisingly similar across airports, and a handful of small tricks make the entire routine smoother. There’s no perfect route, but there is a clear way to optimize depending on your priorities.

Why I Did This

I live in Beverly Hills and work in Menlo Park. The distance from my home to both LAX and BUR is almost the same, and the same applies to SFO and SJC from my office. Instead of trusting my intuition, I documented every trip for two months. Once I had enough data, patterns began to emerge.

Methodology

For outbound flights from LA, I recorded the time from closing the car door to arriving at the gate. I use TSA PreCheck and rely on Touchless TSA at LAX, which skips the usual line. I carry only a backpack, so I intentionally arrive after boarding begins. For a 7am flight, I leave Beverly Hills in LA at 6:10am, arriving at the gate around 6:44am. My closest call has been eight minutes before boarding closed.

For Silicon Valley arrivals, I measured from plane‑door‑open to arrival at my office or shuttle stop in Menlo Park, including Uber/Lyft costs. For Thursday returns to LA, I tracked from plane‑door‑open to arriving home. I eventually began taking the work shuttle to San Mateo for Wi‑Fi and lower cost.

The Data

Super-Commute Airport Performance Summary

Commute Segment	Airport	Samples	Avg Time	Median Time	Fastest Time	Avg Cost
Beverly Hills (LA) → Airport (Outbound Departure)	LAX	5	34.6 min	36 min	29 min	$54.89
	BUR	3	37.3 min	38 min	33 min	$56.14
Silicon Valley Arrival (Outbound Arrival)	SFO	5	41.4 min	39 min	37 min	$45.35
	SJC	3	46.3 min	43 min	38 min	$41.92
Silicon Valley → Beverly Hills (LA) Home (Return Arrival)	BUR	4	41.8 min	42 min	39 min	$55.89
	LAX	3	54.3 min	54 min	46 min	$44.71

What the Data Shows

LAX delivered the single fastest time, but BUR was the most consistent. Costs were nearly identical for morning departures. SFO and SJC performed similarly for Silicon Valley arrivals. BUR consistently got me home faster on return trips, while LAX was cheaper but more unpredictable.

Recommendations

Arrive after boarding begins if you travel with a backpack only. Use Touchless TSA at LAX whenever possible. For Delta flights, get dropped off at the far end of Terminal 3 to shorten the PreCheck walk. Morning airport choice between LAX and BUR doesn’t matter much—pick based on price and schedule. SFO and SJC are interchangeable. For evening returns, choose BUR for reliability and LAX for cost. Consider walking to the rideshare zone at LAX if you land in Terminals 1 or 2. Use your work shuttle to the airport on Thursdays for Wi‑Fi and cost savings.

Final Thoughts

Super‑commuting sounds extreme, but with a consistent system and a willingness to measure the pieces that matter, it becomes manageable. The biggest surprise was how little the morning airport choice mattered. The largest gains come from refining the evening return process. There’s no perfect route, but understanding each airport’s strengths—and adopting a few key habits—makes the LA–SF super commute smoother than expected.