Best Time to Drive from Glendale to Lake Forest

Right now (7:35 pm PST): about 64 minutes via I-5 South, usually 60 at this time.

Only 33% 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 Glendale 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	49	60	77	75	64	62	62	62	65	65	81	91	86	77	61	53	50
Tue	49	60	85	82	68	65	63	62	62	70	85	100	94	81	69	57	49
Wed	48	59	86	82	70	64	62	62	64	68	77	81	81	72	64	57	50
Thu	48	58	81	81	69	67	66	66	69	75	89	94	93	82	67	57	51
Fri	49	58	72	72	66	63	62	64	73	85	91	94	90	83	67	61	52
Sat	50	51	52	54	57	60	64	65	68	72	71	71	71	68	64	61	53
Sun	49	50	50	51	51	55	59	65	66	68	67	67	65	64	64	62	53

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from Glendale to Lake Forest (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 101 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 66 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (72 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Glendale 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 Glendale to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 101 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Glendale to Lake Forest?

The 53-mile drive usually takes 48 to 101 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 66 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Glendale to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 101 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (19 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 Glendale (return trip) · Glendale to Los Angeles · Glendale to Santa Monica · Glendale to Long Beach · Glendale to West Covina · Glendale to Santa Clarita · Glendale to Van Nuys · Glendale to Torrance · Glendale to LAX · Glendale to Culver City · Glendale to El Monte · Glendale to Downey

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	60	77	75	64	62	62	62	65	65	81	91	86	77	61	53	50
Tue	49	60	85	82	68	65	63	62	62	70	85	100	94	81	69	57	49
Wed	48	59	86	82	70	64	62	62	64	68	77	81	81	72	64	57	50
Thu	48	58	81	81	69	67	66	66	69	75	89	94	93	82	67	57	51
Fri	49	58	72	72	66	63	62	64	73	85	91	94	90	83	67	61	52
Sat	50	51	52	54	57	60	64	65	68	72	71	71	71	68	64	61	53
Sun	49	50	50	51	51	55	59	65	66	68	67	67	65	64	64	62	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	60	77	75	64	62	62	62	65	65	81	91	86	77	61	53	50
Tue	49	60	85	82	68	65	63	62	62	70	85	100	94	81	69	57	49
Wed	48	59	86	82	70	64	62	62	64	68	77	81	81	72	64	57	50
Thu	48	58	81	81	69	67	66	66	69	75	89	94	93	82	67	57	51
Fri	49	58	72	72	66	63	62	64	73	85	91	94	90	83	67	61	52
Sat	50	51	52	54	57	60	64	65	68	72	71	71	71	68	64	61	53
Sun	49	50	50	51	51	55	59	65	66	68	67	67	65	64	64	62	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	60	77	75	64	62	62	62	65	65	81	91	86	77	61	53	50
Tue	49	60	85	82	68	65	63	62	62	70	85	100	94	81	69	57	49
Wed	48	59	86	82	70	64	62	62	64	68	77	81	81	72	64	57	50
Thu	48	58	81	81	69	67	66	66	69	75	89	94	93	82	67	57	51
Fri	49	58	72	72	66	63	62	64	73	85	91	94	90	83	67	61	52
Sat	50	51	52	54	57	60	64	65	68	72	71	71	71	68	64	61	53
Sun	49	50	50	51	51	55	59	65	66	68	67	67	65	64	64	62	53