Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Downey

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 46 minutes via I-5 North, usually 45 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 Lake Forest to Downey 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	35	36	39	44	43	40	42	43	45	48	51	54	55	51	42	37	35
Tue	35	37	41	45	44	43	44	44	45	47	52	57	60	54	46	38	36
Wed	35	37	41	45	44	42	43	44	45	46	53	58	61	55	46	40	35
Thu	35	37	40	44	43	42	44	44	46	47	52	58	59	52	46	39	36
Fri	35	37	39	41	41	43	44	45	46	49	55	56	56	53	45	41	36
Sat	35	36	36	37	37	41	42	42	42	43	45	45	45	42	42	40	36
Sun	35	36	36	36	37	37	40	39	41	41	42	41	42	42	43	39	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Lake Forest to Downey (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 61 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (46 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Lake Forest to central Downey 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 Lake Forest to Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 61 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 38-mile drive usually takes 35 to 61 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Downey?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 61 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (32 miles)

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

More drives

Downey to Lake Forest (return trip) · Lake Forest to Los Angeles · Lake Forest to Moreno Valley · Lake Forest to Long Beach · Lake Forest to Anaheim · Lake Forest to Riverside · Lake Forest to Santa Ana · Lake Forest to Irvine · Lake Forest to San Bernardino · Lake Forest to Fontana · Lake Forest to Huntington Beach · Lake Forest 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	35	36	39	44	43	40	42	43	45	48	51	54	55	51	42	37	35
Tue	35	37	41	45	44	43	44	44	45	47	52	57	60	54	46	38	36
Wed	35	37	41	45	44	42	43	44	45	46	53	58	61	55	46	40	35
Thu	35	37	40	44	43	42	44	44	46	47	52	58	59	52	46	39	36
Fri	35	37	39	41	41	43	44	45	46	49	55	56	56	53	45	41	36
Sat	35	36	36	37	37	41	42	42	42	43	45	45	45	42	42	40	36
Sun	35	36	36	36	37	37	40	39	41	41	42	41	42	42	43	39	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	39	44	43	40	42	43	45	48	51	54	55	51	42	37	35
Tue	35	37	41	45	44	43	44	44	45	47	52	57	60	54	46	38	36
Wed	35	37	41	45	44	42	43	44	45	46	53	58	61	55	46	40	35
Thu	35	37	40	44	43	42	44	44	46	47	52	58	59	52	46	39	36
Fri	35	37	39	41	41	43	44	45	46	49	55	56	56	53	45	41	36
Sat	35	36	36	37	37	41	42	42	42	43	45	45	45	42	42	40	36
Sun	35	36	36	36	37	37	40	39	41	41	42	41	42	42	43	39	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	39	44	43	40	42	43	45	48	51	54	55	51	42	37	35
Tue	35	37	41	45	44	43	44	44	45	47	52	57	60	54	46	38	36
Wed	35	37	41	45	44	42	43	44	45	46	53	58	61	55	46	40	35
Thu	35	37	40	44	43	42	44	44	46	47	52	58	59	52	46	39	36
Fri	35	37	39	41	41	43	44	45	46	49	55	56	56	53	45	41	36
Sat	35	36	36	37	37	41	42	42	42	43	45	45	45	42	42	40	36
Sun	35	36	36	36	37	37	40	39	41	41	42	41	42	42	43	39	36