Best Time to Drive from Lake Forest to Whittier

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 47 minutes via I-5 North, usually 47 at this time.

Only 7% 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 Whittier 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	37	39	42	46	45	42	45	46	48	50	53	55	57	53	44	40	38
Tue	38	40	43	47	46	45	46	47	48	49	54	58	61	56	48	41	38
Wed	38	39	43	47	46	45	45	46	47	48	54	60	62	57	48	42	38
Thu	38	39	42	46	46	45	46	47	48	49	54	59	61	54	48	42	38
Fri	38	40	41	44	44	45	47	47	48	51	57	57	58	54	47	44	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	43	44	45	45	45	47	47	47	45	45	42	39
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	43	42	44	44	45	44	45	45	45	42	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from Lake Forest to Whittier (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 62 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 47 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (48 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 11 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 Whittier 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 Whittier?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 62 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 41-mile drive usually takes 37 to 62 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 47 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lake Forest to Whittier?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 62 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (31 miles) · I-605 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

Whittier 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	37	39	42	46	45	42	45	46	48	50	53	55	57	53	44	40	38
Tue	38	40	43	47	46	45	46	47	48	49	54	58	61	56	48	41	38
Wed	38	39	43	47	46	45	45	46	47	48	54	60	62	57	48	42	38
Thu	38	39	42	46	46	45	46	47	48	49	54	59	61	54	48	42	38
Fri	38	40	41	44	44	45	47	47	48	51	57	57	58	54	47	44	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	43	44	45	45	45	47	47	47	45	45	42	39
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	43	42	44	44	45	44	45	45	45	42	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	42	46	45	42	45	46	48	50	53	55	57	53	44	40	38
Tue	38	40	43	47	46	45	46	47	48	49	54	58	61	56	48	41	38
Wed	38	39	43	47	46	45	45	46	47	48	54	60	62	57	48	42	38
Thu	38	39	42	46	46	45	46	47	48	49	54	59	61	54	48	42	38
Fri	38	40	41	44	44	45	47	47	48	51	57	57	58	54	47	44	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	43	44	45	45	45	47	47	47	45	45	42	39
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	43	42	44	44	45	44	45	45	45	42	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	42	46	45	42	45	46	48	50	53	55	57	53	44	40	38
Tue	38	40	43	47	46	45	46	47	48	49	54	58	61	56	48	41	38
Wed	38	39	43	47	46	45	45	46	47	48	54	60	62	57	48	42	38
Thu	38	39	42	46	46	45	46	47	48	49	54	59	61	54	48	42	38
Fri	38	40	41	44	44	45	47	47	48	51	57	57	58	54	47	44	38
Sat	38	38	39	39	40	43	44	45	45	45	47	47	47	45	45	42	39
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	40	43	42	44	44	45	44	45	45	45	42	38