Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Riverside

Right now (5:47 pm PDT): about 52 minutes via SR-91 East and SR-241 North, usually 46 at this time.

Only 47% 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 Riverside 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	38	38	42	42	41	41	41	42	45	47	53	53	53	46	43	41	38
Tue	38	38	44	44	42	41	41	42	43	49	54	54	53	46	43	43	38
Wed	38	39	44	45	41	41	41	43	43	48	51	52	52	45	42	41	39
Thu	38	38	43	43	41	41	41	42	44	47	53	56	54	47	44	41	38
Fri	38	38	40	42	40	42	42	43	50	54	60	58	55	50	45	42	38
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	41	41	42	43	44	44	43	42	41	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	40	40	40	39	39	39	40	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Lake Forest to Riverside (via SR-91 East and SR-241 North) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 60 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 44 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 9 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 Riverside 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 Riverside?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 60 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 37 to 60 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 44 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Riverside?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 60 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 East in Orange County (20 miles) · SR-241 North in Orange County (12 miles) · SR-133 North in Orange County (1.6 miles) · SR-91 East in Inland Empire (1.1 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

Riverside 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 Santa Ana · Lake Forest to Irvine

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	38	42	42	41	41	41	42	45	47	53	53	53	46	43	41	38
Tue	38	38	44	44	42	41	41	42	43	49	54	54	53	46	43	43	38
Wed	38	39	44	45	41	41	41	43	43	48	51	52	52	45	42	41	39
Thu	38	38	43	43	41	41	41	42	44	47	53	56	54	47	44	41	38
Fri	38	38	40	42	40	42	42	43	50	54	60	58	55	50	45	42	38
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	41	41	42	43	44	44	43	42	41	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	40	40	40	39	39	39	40	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	38	42	42	41	41	41	42	45	47	53	53	53	46	43	41	38
Tue	38	38	44	44	42	41	41	42	43	49	54	54	53	46	43	43	38
Wed	38	39	44	45	41	41	41	43	43	48	51	52	52	45	42	41	39
Thu	38	38	43	43	41	41	41	42	44	47	53	56	54	47	44	41	38
Fri	38	38	40	42	40	42	42	43	50	54	60	58	55	50	45	42	38
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	41	41	42	43	44	44	43	42	41	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	40	40	40	39	39	39	40	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	38	42	42	41	41	41	42	45	47	53	53	53	46	43	41	38
Tue	38	38	44	44	42	41	41	42	43	49	54	54	53	46	43	43	38
Wed	38	39	44	45	41	41	41	43	43	48	51	52	52	45	42	41	39
Thu	38	38	43	43	41	41	41	42	44	47	53	56	54	47	44	41	38
Fri	38	38	40	42	40	42	42	43	50	54	60	58	55	50	45	42	38
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	41	41	42	43	44	44	43	42	41	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	40	40	40	39	39	39	40	38