Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Norwalk

Right now (7:48 pm PDT): about 31 minutes via I-5 North, usually 31 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 Norwalk 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	29	30	31	35	35	32	33	34	36	37	40	40	42	40	34	31	29
Tue	29	30	32	36	35	35	35	35	36	36	40	42	45	42	37	32	30
Wed	29	30	32	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	40	44	46	43	37	33	30
Thu	29	30	32	34	35	35	36	36	36	37	40	45	45	41	38	33	30
Fri	29	30	30	33	33	35	36	36	37	38	42	43	45	42	36	34	30
Sat	29	30	30	30	31	34	35	35	35	35	36	37	37	35	35	34	30
Sun	29	30	30	30	31	31	34	33	35	35	36	35	36	36	37	33	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Lake Forest to Norwalk (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 46 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 7 pm on Sundays (37 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 10 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 Norwalk 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 Norwalk?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 46 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 32-mile drive usually takes 29 to 46 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Norwalk?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 46 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (28 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Norwalk 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	29	30	31	35	35	32	33	34	36	37	40	40	42	40	34	31	29
Tue	29	30	32	36	35	35	35	35	36	36	40	42	45	42	37	32	30
Wed	29	30	32	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	40	44	46	43	37	33	30
Thu	29	30	32	34	35	35	36	36	36	37	40	45	45	41	38	33	30
Fri	29	30	30	33	33	35	36	36	37	38	42	43	45	42	36	34	30
Sat	29	30	30	30	31	34	35	35	35	35	36	37	37	35	35	34	30
Sun	29	30	30	30	31	31	34	33	35	35	36	35	36	36	37	33	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	31	35	35	32	33	34	36	37	40	40	42	40	34	31	29
Tue	29	30	32	36	35	35	35	35	36	36	40	42	45	42	37	32	30
Wed	29	30	32	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	40	44	46	43	37	33	30
Thu	29	30	32	34	35	35	36	36	36	37	40	45	45	41	38	33	30
Fri	29	30	30	33	33	35	36	36	37	38	42	43	45	42	36	34	30
Sat	29	30	30	30	31	34	35	35	35	35	36	37	37	35	35	34	30
Sun	29	30	30	30	31	31	34	33	35	35	36	35	36	36	37	33	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	31	35	35	32	33	34	36	37	40	40	42	40	34	31	29
Tue	29	30	32	36	35	35	35	35	36	36	40	42	45	42	37	32	30
Wed	29	30	32	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	40	44	46	43	37	33	30
Thu	29	30	32	34	35	35	36	36	36	37	40	45	45	41	38	33	30
Fri	29	30	30	33	33	35	36	36	37	38	42	43	45	42	36	34	30
Sat	29	30	30	30	31	34	35	35	35	35	36	37	37	35	35	34	30
Sun	29	30	30	30	31	31	34	33	35	35	36	35	36	36	37	33	30