Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Santee

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 81 minutes via I-5 South, usually 77 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 Santee 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	74	77	84	83	78	79	78	78	79	86	89	86	79	76	76	76	75
Tue	75	79	89	91	82	81	80	80	80	88	91	91	88	78	76	76	75
Wed	74	78	87	90	82	80	80	79	79	89	93	91	88	77	76	76	75
Thu	74	78	87	87	80	81	81	80	80	90	94	93	87	78	77	76	75
Fri	75	78	80	78	78	82	85	88	96	104	106	103	92	84	80	77	75
Sat	75	75	76	77	82	89	93	94	91	88	88	92	84	80	77	76	75
Sun	75	75	75	75	76	78	84	84	86	85	82	83	79	78	78	78	75

About this drive

On weekdays the 82-mile drive from Lake Forest to Santee (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 74 minutes and up to 106 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 83 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10:30 am on Saturdays (94 minutes).

About 74 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (10 to 13 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 Santee 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 Santee?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 74 minutes then, versus up to 106 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 82-mile drive usually takes 74 to 106 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 83 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Santee?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 106 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (37 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (21 miles) · SR-52 East in San Diego (12 miles) · I-805 South in San Diego (4 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santee 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	74	77	84	83	78	79	78	78	79	86	89	86	79	76	76	76	75
Tue	75	79	89	91	82	81	80	80	80	88	91	91	88	78	76	76	75
Wed	74	78	87	90	82	80	80	79	79	89	93	91	88	77	76	76	75
Thu	74	78	87	87	80	81	81	80	80	90	94	93	87	78	77	76	75
Fri	75	78	80	78	78	82	85	88	96	104	106	103	92	84	80	77	75
Sat	75	75	76	77	82	89	93	94	91	88	88	92	84	80	77	76	75
Sun	75	75	75	75	76	78	84	84	86	85	82	83	79	78	78	78	75

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	77	84	83	78	79	78	78	79	86	89	86	79	76	76	76	75
Tue	75	79	89	91	82	81	80	80	80	88	91	91	88	78	76	76	75
Wed	74	78	87	90	82	80	80	79	79	89	93	91	88	77	76	76	75
Thu	74	78	87	87	80	81	81	80	80	90	94	93	87	78	77	76	75
Fri	75	78	80	78	78	82	85	88	96	104	106	103	92	84	80	77	75
Sat	75	75	76	77	82	89	93	94	91	88	88	92	84	80	77	76	75
Sun	75	75	75	75	76	78	84	84	86	85	82	83	79	78	78	78	75

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	77	84	83	78	79	78	78	79	86	89	86	79	76	76	76	75
Tue	75	79	89	91	82	81	80	80	80	88	91	91	88	78	76	76	75
Wed	74	78	87	90	82	80	80	79	79	89	93	91	88	77	76	76	75
Thu	74	78	87	87	80	81	81	80	80	90	94	93	87	78	77	76	75
Fri	75	78	80	78	78	82	85	88	96	104	106	103	92	84	80	77	75
Sat	75	75	76	77	82	89	93	94	91	88	88	92	84	80	77	76	75
Sun	75	75	75	75	76	78	84	84	86	85	82	83	79	78	78	78	75