Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Lake Forest
Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 11 minutes via I-405 South, usually 11 at this time.
None 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Tue | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Wed | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Thu | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Fri | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Sat | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Sun | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 9-mile drive from Irvine to Lake Forest (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 10 minutes and up to 14 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 11 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (11 minutes).
About 6 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Irvine 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 Irvine to Lake Forest?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 10 minutes then, versus up to 14 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Lake Forest?
The 9-mile drive usually takes 10 to 14 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 11 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Irvine to Lake Forest?
Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 14 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-405 South in Orange County (6 miles)
Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow
More drives
Lake Forest to Irvine (return trip) · Irvine to Los Angeles · Irvine to Santa Monica · Irvine to Pasadena · Irvine to Long Beach · Irvine to West Covina · Irvine to Burbank · Irvine to Glendale · Irvine to Santa Clarita · Irvine to Van Nuys · Irvine to Torrance · Irvine to LAX