Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Long Beach

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 48 minutes via I-405 North, usually 41 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 Long Beach 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	34	35	36	36	37	36	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	41	37	37	34
Tue	34	34	35	37	38	37	37	37	38	38	39	41	46	45	37	36	34
Wed	34	35	35	39	39	41	40	40	41	41	41	45	47	46	42	42	35
Thu	34	35	36	37	38	38	38	38	39	39	39	43	43	42	39	37	34
Fri	34	35	36	37	38	36	36	37	37	38	40	40	41	39	37	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	36	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	35	36	37	37	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Lake Forest to Long Beach (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 48 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (37 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (12 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Lake Forest to downtown Long Beach 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 Long Beach?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 48 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Lake Forest to Long Beach?

The 34-mile drive usually takes 34 to 48 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Long Beach?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 48 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Orange County (21 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (1.9 miles) · SR-22 West in Orange County (1.6 miles)

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

More drives

Long Beach to Lake Forest (return trip) · Lake Forest to Los Angeles · Lake Forest 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	34	35	36	36	37	36	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	41	37	37	34
Tue	34	34	35	37	38	37	37	37	38	38	39	41	46	45	37	36	34
Wed	34	35	35	39	39	41	40	40	41	41	41	45	47	46	42	42	35
Thu	34	35	36	37	38	38	38	38	39	39	39	43	43	42	39	37	34
Fri	34	35	36	37	38	36	36	37	37	38	40	40	41	39	37	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	36	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	35	36	37	37	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	35	36	36	37	36	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	41	37	37	34
Tue	34	34	35	37	38	37	37	37	38	38	39	41	46	45	37	36	34
Wed	34	35	35	39	39	41	40	40	41	41	41	45	47	46	42	42	35
Thu	34	35	36	37	38	38	38	38	39	39	39	43	43	42	39	37	34
Fri	34	35	36	37	38	36	36	37	37	38	40	40	41	39	37	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	36	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	35	36	37	37	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	35	36	36	37	36	38	38	38	38	39	40	42	41	37	37	34
Tue	34	34	35	37	38	37	37	37	38	38	39	41	46	45	37	36	34
Wed	34	35	35	39	39	41	40	40	41	41	41	45	47	46	42	42	35
Thu	34	35	36	37	38	38	38	38	39	39	39	43	43	42	39	37	34
Fri	34	35	36	37	38	36	36	37	37	38	40	40	41	39	37	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	36	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	35	36	37	37	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	34