Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Glendale

Right now (4:51 am PST): about 48 minutes via I-5 North, usually 49 at this time.

Only 40% 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 Glendale 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	63	71	77	74	66	65	67	69	71	74	75	73	67	57	50	49
Tue	49	64	72	79	76	69	65	65	68	72	76	79	76	72	62	52	49
Wed	48	60	69	74	74	68	67	65	67	70	75	81	78	74	63	54	49
Thu	49	61	70	75	73	67	67	67	69	72	78	83	77	70	65	56	50
Fri	49	60	64	69	67	66	67	70	73	75	80	80	78	76	67	59	50
Sat	48	50	51	53	58	66	68	68	71	70	71	72	70	69	68	59	51
Sun	49	49	49	49	52	57	64	66	69	69	72	67	69	69	68	59	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 54-mile drive from Lake Forest to Glendale (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 83 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 68 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (73 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (4 to 8 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 Glendale 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 Glendale?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 83 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 54-mile drive usually takes 48 to 83 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 68 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Glendale?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 83 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (32 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (18 miles)

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

More drives

Glendale 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 Oceanside

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	63	71	77	74	66	65	67	69	71	74	75	73	67	57	50	49
Tue	49	64	72	79	76	69	65	65	68	72	76	79	76	72	62	52	49
Wed	48	60	69	74	74	68	67	65	67	70	75	81	78	74	63	54	49
Thu	49	61	70	75	73	67	67	67	69	72	78	83	77	70	65	56	50
Fri	49	60	64	69	67	66	67	70	73	75	80	80	78	76	67	59	50
Sat	48	50	51	53	58	66	68	68	71	70	71	72	70	69	68	59	51
Sun	49	49	49	49	52	57	64	66	69	69	72	67	69	69	68	59	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	63	71	77	74	66	65	67	69	71	74	75	73	67	57	50	49
Tue	49	64	72	79	76	69	65	65	68	72	76	79	76	72	62	52	49
Wed	48	60	69	74	74	68	67	65	67	70	75	81	78	74	63	54	49
Thu	49	61	70	75	73	67	67	67	69	72	78	83	77	70	65	56	50
Fri	49	60	64	69	67	66	67	70	73	75	80	80	78	76	67	59	50
Sat	48	50	51	53	58	66	68	68	71	70	71	72	70	69	68	59	51
Sun	49	49	49	49	52	57	64	66	69	69	72	67	69	69	68	59	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	63	71	77	74	66	65	67	69	71	74	75	73	67	57	50	49
Tue	49	64	72	79	76	69	65	65	68	72	76	79	76	72	62	52	49
Wed	48	60	69	74	74	68	67	65	67	70	75	81	78	74	63	54	49
Thu	49	61	70	75	73	67	67	67	69	72	78	83	77	70	65	56	50
Fri	49	60	64	69	67	66	67	70	73	75	80	80	78	76	67	59	50
Sat	48	50	51	53	58	66	68	68	71	70	71	72	70	69	68	59	51
Sun	49	49	49	49	52	57	64	66	69	69	72	67	69	69	68	59	50