Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Vista

Right now (8:52 pm PDT): about 48 minutes via I-5 South, usually 47 at this time.

Only 49% 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 Vista 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	47	48	48	49	49	49	49	49	51	49	51	49	48	48	47	48	47
Tue	47	49	51	51	50	52	50	50	50	50	50	52	48	50	48	49	47
Wed	47	49	51	49	50	51	51	51	50	51	52	52	50	48	48	49	47
Thu	47	49	51	49	49	52	53	51	51	54	58	57	51	49	50	49	47
Fri	48	49	49	48	49	58	65	69	76	83	83	82	74	61	57	49	48
Sat	48	48	48	49	62	72	77	74	73	66	66	74	59	52	49	48	47
Sun	48	47	47	47	48	51	64	55	56	63	53	58	51	50	50	50	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from Lake Forest to Vista (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 84 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 10 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10:30 am on Saturdays (80 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (10 to 19 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 Vista 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 Vista?

On weekdays, leave before 10 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 84 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 51-mile drive usually takes 47 to 84 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Vista?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 84 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (17 miles) · SR-78 East 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

Vista 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	47	48	48	49	49	49	49	49	51	49	51	49	48	48	47	48	47
Tue	47	49	51	51	50	52	50	50	50	50	50	52	48	50	48	49	47
Wed	47	49	51	49	50	51	51	51	50	51	52	52	50	48	48	49	47
Thu	47	49	51	49	49	52	53	51	51	54	58	57	51	49	50	49	47
Fri	48	49	49	48	49	58	65	69	76	83	83	82	74	61	57	49	48
Sat	48	48	48	49	62	72	77	74	73	66	66	74	59	52	49	48	47
Sun	48	47	47	47	48	51	64	55	56	63	53	58	51	50	50	50	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	48	48	49	49	49	49	49	51	49	51	49	48	48	47	48	47
Tue	47	49	51	51	50	52	50	50	50	50	50	52	48	50	48	49	47
Wed	47	49	51	49	50	51	51	51	50	51	52	52	50	48	48	49	47
Thu	47	49	51	49	49	52	53	51	51	54	58	57	51	49	50	49	47
Fri	48	49	49	48	49	58	65	69	76	83	83	82	74	61	57	49	48
Sat	48	48	48	49	62	72	77	74	73	66	66	74	59	52	49	48	47
Sun	48	47	47	47	48	51	64	55	56	63	53	58	51	50	50	50	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	48	48	49	49	49	49	49	51	49	51	49	48	48	47	48	47
Tue	47	49	51	51	50	52	50	50	50	50	50	52	48	50	48	49	47
Wed	47	49	51	49	50	51	51	51	50	51	52	52	50	48	48	49	47
Thu	47	49	51	49	49	52	53	51	51	54	58	57	51	49	50	49	47
Fri	48	49	49	48	49	58	65	69	76	83	83	82	74	61	57	49	48
Sat	48	48	48	49	62	72	77	74	73	66	66	74	59	52	49	48	47
Sun	48	47	47	47	48	51	64	55	56	63	53	58	51	50	50	50	47