Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Van Nuys

Right now (6:48 pm PDT): about 74 minutes via I-5 North, usually 80 at this time.

Only 35% 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 Van Nuys 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	59	77	81	88	84	76	77	79	83	88	90	102	95	84	68	61	59
Tue	59	75	85	90	88	82	79	77	81	88	95	112	106	86	74	63	59
Wed	59	75	81	86	87	80	78	77	79	83	99	116	108	90	76	65	60
Thu	59	73	81	86	84	79	79	78	83	89	102	116	105	89	79	67	60
Fri	59	71	74	80	78	79	81	82	89	93	101	100	99	88	78	68	60
Sat	59	60	62	64	71	79	81	83	84	84	83	85	81	80	80	70	61
Sun	59	59	60	60	63	68	75	76	80	83	87	82	80	80	80	70	60

About this drive

On weekdays the 66-mile drive from Lake Forest to Van Nuys (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 59 minutes and up to 116 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 82 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Sundays (88 minutes).

About 61 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 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 central Van Nuys 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 Van Nuys?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 59 minutes then, versus up to 116 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Lake Forest to Van Nuys?

The 66-mile drive usually takes 59 to 116 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 82 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Van Nuys?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 116 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (32 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (19 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

More drives

Van Nuys 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	59	77	81	88	84	76	77	79	83	88	90	102	95	84	68	61	59
Tue	59	75	85	90	88	82	79	77	81	88	95	112	106	86	74	63	59
Wed	59	75	81	86	87	80	78	77	79	83	99	116	108	90	76	65	60
Thu	59	73	81	86	84	79	79	78	83	89	102	116	105	89	79	67	60
Fri	59	71	74	80	78	79	81	82	89	93	101	100	99	88	78	68	60
Sat	59	60	62	64	71	79	81	83	84	84	83	85	81	80	80	70	61
Sun	59	59	60	60	63	68	75	76	80	83	87	82	80	80	80	70	60

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	77	81	88	84	76	77	79	83	88	90	102	95	84	68	61	59
Tue	59	75	85	90	88	82	79	77	81	88	95	112	106	86	74	63	59
Wed	59	75	81	86	87	80	78	77	79	83	99	116	108	90	76	65	60
Thu	59	73	81	86	84	79	79	78	83	89	102	116	105	89	79	67	60
Fri	59	71	74	80	78	79	81	82	89	93	101	100	99	88	78	68	60
Sat	59	60	62	64	71	79	81	83	84	84	83	85	81	80	80	70	61
Sun	59	59	60	60	63	68	75	76	80	83	87	82	80	80	80	70	60

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	77	81	88	84	76	77	79	83	88	90	102	95	84	68	61	59
Tue	59	75	85	90	88	82	79	77	81	88	95	112	106	86	74	63	59
Wed	59	75	81	86	87	80	78	77	79	83	99	116	108	90	76	65	60
Thu	59	73	81	86	84	79	79	78	83	89	102	116	105	89	79	67	60
Fri	59	71	74	80	78	79	81	82	89	93	101	100	99	88	78	68	60
Sat	59	60	62	64	71	79	81	83	84	84	83	85	81	80	80	70	61
Sun	59	59	60	60	63	68	75	76	80	83	87	82	80	80	80	70	60