Best Time to Drive from Laguna Niguel to East Los Angeles

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 55 minutes via I-5 North, usually 54 at this time.

Only 5% 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 Laguna Niguel to East Los Angeles 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	47	50	53	51	49	51	52	54	55	58	59	59	56	50	47	45
Tue	44	47	53	54	53	51	52	53	54	55	60	62	63	59	53	47	46
Wed	45	47	51	53	53	51	52	53	53	54	60	64	64	61	54	48	45
Thu	45	47	51	52	52	51	53	53	54	55	61	65	63	58	54	48	45
Fri	45	47	48	50	49	52	53	54	56	58	63	64	65	61	53	49	45
Sat	45	46	46	47	48	51	52	52	52	53	54	54	54	52	52	50	45
Sun	45	46	45	45	47	48	50	50	52	52	52	52	52	53	52	49	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 49-mile drive from Laguna Niguel to East Los Angeles (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 67 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 53 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (55 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Laguna Niguel to central East Los Angeles 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 Laguna Niguel to East Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 67 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 49-mile drive usually takes 44 to 67 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 53 minutes midday.

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

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 67 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (29 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (6 miles) · SR-133 North in Orange County (4 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

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

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	47	50	53	51	49	51	52	54	55	58	59	59	56	50	47	45
Tue	44	47	53	54	53	51	52	53	54	55	60	62	63	59	53	47	46
Wed	45	47	51	53	53	51	52	53	53	54	60	64	64	61	54	48	45
Thu	45	47	51	52	52	51	53	53	54	55	61	65	63	58	54	48	45
Fri	45	47	48	50	49	52	53	54	56	58	63	64	65	61	53	49	45
Sat	45	46	46	47	48	51	52	52	52	53	54	54	54	52	52	50	45
Sun	45	46	45	45	47	48	50	50	52	52	52	52	52	53	52	49	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	47	50	53	51	49	51	52	54	55	58	59	59	56	50	47	45
Tue	44	47	53	54	53	51	52	53	54	55	60	62	63	59	53	47	46
Wed	45	47	51	53	53	51	52	53	53	54	60	64	64	61	54	48	45
Thu	45	47	51	52	52	51	53	53	54	55	61	65	63	58	54	48	45
Fri	45	47	48	50	49	52	53	54	56	58	63	64	65	61	53	49	45
Sat	45	46	46	47	48	51	52	52	52	53	54	54	54	52	52	50	45
Sun	45	46	45	45	47	48	50	50	52	52	52	52	52	53	52	49	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	47	50	53	51	49	51	52	54	55	58	59	59	56	50	47	45
Tue	44	47	53	54	53	51	52	53	54	55	60	62	63	59	53	47	46
Wed	45	47	51	53	53	51	52	53	53	54	60	64	64	61	54	48	45
Thu	45	47	51	52	52	51	53	53	54	55	61	65	63	58	54	48	45
Fri	45	47	48	50	49	52	53	54	56	58	63	64	65	61	53	49	45
Sat	45	46	46	47	48	51	52	52	52	53	54	54	54	52	52	50	45
Sun	45	46	45	45	47	48	50	50	52	52	52	52	52	53	52	49	45