Best Time to Drive from East Los Angeles to Laguna Niguel

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 58 minutes via I-5 South, usually 59 at this time.

Only 1% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from East Los Angeles to Laguna Niguel by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	53	65	68	56	50	52	52	55	51	63	73	74	66	58	48	46
Tue	44	53	72	76	60	52	51	52	52	56	66	76	82	69	62	52	46
Wed	44	52	71	75	61	53	51	51	51	55	58	64	69	57	56	50	46
Thu	44	52	69	73	60	54	55	55	58	55	67	74	76	69	61	50	47
Fri	44	51	62	63	57	53	52	53	56	63	70	71	73	71	59	52	47
Sat	45	47	47	48	51	52	55	55	55	57	58	57	55	53	51	50	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	49	50	53	54	55	55	54	54	54	54	52	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 49-mile drive from East Los Angeles to Laguna Niguel (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 82 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (59 minutes).

About 44 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central East Los Angeles to central Laguna Niguel along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from East Los Angeles to Laguna Niguel?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 82 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from East Los Angeles to Laguna Niguel?

The 49-mile drive usually takes 44 to 82 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from East Los Angeles to Laguna Niguel?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 82 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (34 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (10 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Laguna Niguel to East Los Angeles (return trip) · East Los Angeles to Long Beach · East Los Angeles to Anaheim · East Los Angeles to Riverside · East Los Angeles to Santa Ana · East Los Angeles to Irvine · East Los Angeles to San Bernardino · East Los Angeles to Fontana · East Los Angeles to Oxnard · East Los Angeles to Moreno Valley · East Los Angeles to Huntington Beach · East Los Angeles to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	53	65	68	56	50	52	52	55	51	63	73	74	66	58	48	46
Tue	44	53	72	76	60	52	51	52	52	56	66	76	82	69	62	52	46
Wed	44	52	71	75	61	53	51	51	51	55	58	64	69	57	56	50	46
Thu	44	52	69	73	60	54	55	55	58	55	67	74	76	69	61	50	47
Fri	44	51	62	63	57	53	52	53	56	63	70	71	73	71	59	52	47
Sat	45	47	47	48	51	52	55	55	55	57	58	57	55	53	51	50	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	49	50	53	54	55	55	54	54	54	54	52	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	53	65	68	56	50	52	52	55	51	63	73	74	66	58	48	46
Tue	44	53	72	76	60	52	51	52	52	56	66	76	82	69	62	52	46
Wed	44	52	71	75	61	53	51	51	51	55	58	64	69	57	56	50	46
Thu	44	52	69	73	60	54	55	55	58	55	67	74	76	69	61	50	47
Fri	44	51	62	63	57	53	52	53	56	63	70	71	73	71	59	52	47
Sat	45	47	47	48	51	52	55	55	55	57	58	57	55	53	51	50	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	49	50	53	54	55	55	54	54	54	54	52	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	53	65	68	56	50	52	52	55	51	63	73	74	66	58	48	46
Tue	44	53	72	76	60	52	51	52	52	56	66	76	82	69	62	52	46
Wed	44	52	71	75	61	53	51	51	51	55	58	64	69	57	56	50	46
Thu	44	52	69	73	60	54	55	55	58	55	67	74	76	69	61	50	47
Fri	44	51	62	63	57	53	52	53	56	63	70	71	73	71	59	52	47
Sat	45	47	47	48	51	52	55	55	55	57	58	57	55	53	51	50	48
Sun	45	45	45	46	47	49	50	53	54	55	55	54	54	54	54	52	47