Best Time to Drive from Hollywood to Rancho Santa Margarita

Right now (9:04 pm PDT): about 54 minutes via I-5 South, usually 51 at this time.

Only 41% 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 Hollywood to Rancho Santa Margarita 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	51	59	73	71	61	57	60	59	62	61	77	87	85	75	61	55	52
Tue	50	60	79	78	64	59	59	59	60	65	80	93	91	77	67	58	51
Wed	50	59	81	79	65	59	59	60	60	66	73	85	85	73	65	58	52
Thu	50	58	79	78	64	61	63	63	67	66	87	92	92	80	66	56	53
Fri	50	57	70	69	64	60	60	61	66	76	85	87	85	79	65	59	53
Sat	51	52	53	56	58	59	62	63	64	67	67	66	64	61	58	58	54
Sun	51	51	51	52	54	58	59	62	62	63	63	63	62	61	60	60	54

About this drive

On weekdays the 58-mile drive from Hollywood to Rancho Santa Margarita (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 98 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 62 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (68 minutes).

About 57 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.9 miles surface streets (1 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Hollywood to central Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Hollywood to Rancho Santa Margarita?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 98 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Hollywood to Rancho Santa Margarita?

The 58-mile drive usually takes 50 to 98 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 62 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Hollywood to Rancho Santa Margarita?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 98 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (8 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (8 miles) · SR-133 North in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

Rancho Santa Margarita to Hollywood (return trip) · Hollywood to Los Angeles · Hollywood to Santa Monica · Hollywood to Pasadena · Hollywood to Long Beach · Hollywood to West Covina · Hollywood to Santa Clarita · Hollywood to Van Nuys · Hollywood to Torrance · Hollywood to El Monte · Hollywood to Downey · Hollywood to Whittier

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	59	73	71	61	57	60	59	62	61	77	87	85	75	61	55	52
Tue	50	60	79	78	64	59	59	59	60	65	80	93	91	77	67	58	51
Wed	50	59	81	79	65	59	59	60	60	66	73	85	85	73	65	58	52
Thu	50	58	79	78	64	61	63	63	67	66	87	92	92	80	66	56	53
Fri	50	57	70	69	64	60	60	61	66	76	85	87	85	79	65	59	53
Sat	51	52	53	56	58	59	62	63	64	67	67	66	64	61	58	58	54
Sun	51	51	51	52	54	58	59	62	62	63	63	63	62	61	60	60	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	59	73	71	61	57	60	59	62	61	77	87	85	75	61	55	52
Tue	50	60	79	78	64	59	59	59	60	65	80	93	91	77	67	58	51
Wed	50	59	81	79	65	59	59	60	60	66	73	85	85	73	65	58	52
Thu	50	58	79	78	64	61	63	63	67	66	87	92	92	80	66	56	53
Fri	50	57	70	69	64	60	60	61	66	76	85	87	85	79	65	59	53
Sat	51	52	53	56	58	59	62	63	64	67	67	66	64	61	58	58	54
Sun	51	51	51	52	54	58	59	62	62	63	63	63	62	61	60	60	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	51	59	73	71	61	57	60	59	62	61	77	87	85	75	61	55	52
Tue	50	60	79	78	64	59	59	59	60	65	80	93	91	77	67	58	51
Wed	50	59	81	79	65	59	59	60	60	66	73	85	85	73	65	58	52
Thu	50	58	79	78	64	61	63	63	67	66	87	92	92	80	66	56	53
Fri	50	57	70	69	64	60	60	61	66	76	85	87	85	79	65	59	53
Sat	51	52	53	56	58	59	62	63	64	67	67	66	64	61	58	58	54
Sun	51	51	51	52	54	58	59	62	62	63	63	63	62	61	60	60	54