Best Time to Drive from Lakewood to Rancho Santa Margarita

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 43 minutes via SR-91 East and SR-241 South.

Only 30% 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 Lakewood to Rancho Santa Margarita 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	44	45	49	52	50	47	48	49	49	50	53	54	54	52	48	46	44
Tue	43	47	54	59	56	51	50	50	52	52	57	58	57	54	49	47	44
Wed	43	48	54	59	57	52	50	52	50	51	58	60	58	56	51	48	44
Thu	43	48	54	58	55	51	51	50	51	51	55	58	58	56	51	48	44
Fri	43	46	50	51	51	51	51	52	53	57	60	61	58	55	51	49	45
Sat	44	46	46	47	47	47	47	48	48	49	52	53	51	50	48	47	44
Sun	43	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	46	46	45	46	45	48	44

About this drive

On weekdays the 49-mile drive from Lakewood to Rancho Santa Margarita (via SR-91 East and SR-241 South) usually takes as little as 43 minutes and up to 61 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 51 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (53 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Lakewood to central Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Lakewood to Rancho Santa Margarita?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 43 minutes then, versus up to 61 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Lakewood to Rancho Santa Margarita?

The 49-mile drive usually takes 43 to 61 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 51 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lakewood to Rancho Santa Margarita?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 61 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 East in Orange County (24 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (20 miles) · SR-91 East in Los Angeles (1.9 miles)

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

More drives

Rancho Santa Margarita to Lakewood (return trip) · Lakewood to Fontana · Lakewood to Moreno Valley · Lakewood to Lancaster · Lakewood to Palmdale · Lakewood to Valencia · Lakewood to Fullerton · Lakewood to East Los Angeles · Lakewood to Victorville · Lakewood to Carlsbad · Lakewood to Costa Mesa · Lakewood to Inglewood

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	45	49	52	50	47	48	49	49	50	53	54	54	52	48	46	44
Tue	43	47	54	59	56	51	50	50	52	52	57	58	57	54	49	47	44
Wed	43	48	54	59	57	52	50	52	50	51	58	60	58	56	51	48	44
Thu	43	48	54	58	55	51	51	50	51	51	55	58	58	56	51	48	44
Fri	43	46	50	51	51	51	51	52	53	57	60	61	58	55	51	49	45
Sat	44	46	46	47	47	47	47	48	48	49	52	53	51	50	48	47	44
Sun	43	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	46	46	45	46	45	48	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	45	49	52	50	47	48	49	49	50	53	54	54	52	48	46	44
Tue	43	47	54	59	56	51	50	50	52	52	57	58	57	54	49	47	44
Wed	43	48	54	59	57	52	50	52	50	51	58	60	58	56	51	48	44
Thu	43	48	54	58	55	51	51	50	51	51	55	58	58	56	51	48	44
Fri	43	46	50	51	51	51	51	52	53	57	60	61	58	55	51	49	45
Sat	44	46	46	47	47	47	47	48	48	49	52	53	51	50	48	47	44
Sun	43	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	46	46	45	46	45	48	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	45	49	52	50	47	48	49	49	50	53	54	54	52	48	46	44
Tue	43	47	54	59	56	51	50	50	52	52	57	58	57	54	49	47	44
Wed	43	48	54	59	57	52	50	52	50	51	58	60	58	56	51	48	44
Thu	43	48	54	58	55	51	51	50	51	51	55	58	58	56	51	48	44
Fri	43	46	50	51	51	51	51	52	53	57	60	61	58	55	51	49	45
Sat	44	46	46	47	47	47	47	48	48	49	52	53	51	50	48	47	44
Sun	43	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	45	46	46	45	46	45	48	44