Best Time to Drive from East Los Angeles to Lake Forest

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 46 minutes via I-5 South, usually 46 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 Lake Forest 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	40	47	57	59	49	43	46	46	49	45	57	66	66	59	52	42	40
Tue	39	47	64	68	52	45	44	47	46	49	59	67	73	60	55	46	40
Wed	39	46	65	69	54	46	45	46	46	52	55	59	63	55	52	45	40
Thu	39	45	63	67	54	48	50	50	53	48	62	66	70	63	55	44	41
Fri	39	44	56	56	52	47	46	47	50	57	64	65	66	65	53	47	41
Sat	40	40	41	42	45	45	48	48	49	51	53	53	48	47	45	44	42
Sun	39	39	39	40	41	43	44	46	47	48	49	48	47	46	46	46	41

About this drive

On weekdays the 42-mile drive from East Los Angeles to Lake Forest (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 73 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 48 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (54 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 12 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 Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 73 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from East Los Angeles to Lake Forest?

The 42-mile drive usually takes 39 to 73 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 48 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from East Los Angeles to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 73 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (10 miles) · SR-133 North in Orange County (1.5 miles)

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

More drives

Lake Forest 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	40	47	57	59	49	43	46	46	49	45	57	66	66	59	52	42	40
Tue	39	47	64	68	52	45	44	47	46	49	59	67	73	60	55	46	40
Wed	39	46	65	69	54	46	45	46	46	52	55	59	63	55	52	45	40
Thu	39	45	63	67	54	48	50	50	53	48	62	66	70	63	55	44	41
Fri	39	44	56	56	52	47	46	47	50	57	64	65	66	65	53	47	41
Sat	40	40	41	42	45	45	48	48	49	51	53	53	48	47	45	44	42
Sun	39	39	39	40	41	43	44	46	47	48	49	48	47	46	46	46	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	47	57	59	49	43	46	46	49	45	57	66	66	59	52	42	40
Tue	39	47	64	68	52	45	44	47	46	49	59	67	73	60	55	46	40
Wed	39	46	65	69	54	46	45	46	46	52	55	59	63	55	52	45	40
Thu	39	45	63	67	54	48	50	50	53	48	62	66	70	63	55	44	41
Fri	39	44	56	56	52	47	46	47	50	57	64	65	66	65	53	47	41
Sat	40	40	41	42	45	45	48	48	49	51	53	53	48	47	45	44	42
Sun	39	39	39	40	41	43	44	46	47	48	49	48	47	46	46	46	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	47	57	59	49	43	46	46	49	45	57	66	66	59	52	42	40
Tue	39	47	64	68	52	45	44	47	46	49	59	67	73	60	55	46	40
Wed	39	46	65	69	54	46	45	46	46	52	55	59	63	55	52	45	40
Thu	39	45	63	67	54	48	50	50	53	48	62	66	70	63	55	44	41
Fri	39	44	56	56	52	47	46	47	50	57	64	65	66	65	53	47	41
Sat	40	40	41	42	45	45	48	48	49	51	53	53	48	47	45	44	42
Sun	39	39	39	40	41	43	44	46	47	48	49	48	47	46	46	46	41