Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Irvine

Right now (7:03 pm PDT): about 13 minutes via I-405 North, usually 13 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

Minutes from Lake Forest to Irvine 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	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	15	14	13	13	12
Tue	12	12	13	13	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	17	16	13	13	12
Wed	12	12	13	13	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	20	17	13	13	12
Thu	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	16	15	13	13	12
Fri	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	13	13	13	12
Sat	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12
Sun	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12

About this drive

On weekdays the 12-mile drive from Lake Forest to Irvine (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 12 minutes and up to 21 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 13 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (13 minutes).

About 10 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 6 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 Irvine 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 Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 8:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 12 minutes then, versus up to 21 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 12-mile drive usually takes 12 to 21 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 13 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Irvine?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 21 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Orange County (6 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (1.9 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (1.2 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Irvine 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	15	14	13	13	12
Tue	12	12	13	13	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	17	16	13	13	12
Wed	12	12	13	13	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	20	17	13	13	12
Thu	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	16	15	13	13	12
Fri	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	13	13	13	12
Sat	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12
Sun	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	15	14	13	13	12
Tue	12	12	13	13	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	17	16	13	13	12
Wed	12	12	13	13	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	20	17	13	13	12
Thu	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	16	15	13	13	12
Fri	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	13	13	13	12
Sat	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12
Sun	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	15	14	13	13	12
Tue	12	12	13	13	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	17	16	13	13	12
Wed	12	12	13	13	14	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	20	17	13	13	12
Thu	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	16	15	13	13	12
Fri	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	13	13	13	12
Sat	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12
Sun	12	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	12