Best Time to Drive from Long Beach to Lake Forest

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 44 minutes via I-405 South, usually 39 at this time.

None 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 Long Beach to Lake Forest 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	35	36	37	38	38	37	37	38	37	38	38	39	42	39	36	36	35
Tue	35	36	37	39	38	38	37	38	38	37	38	40	45	39	37	36	35
Wed	35	36	38	39	39	39	38	38	38	38	39	41	46	39	38	39	36
Thu	35	36	38	38	38	38	38	38	38	37	38	40	42	39	37	37	35
Fri	35	36	37	38	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	38	37	37	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Long Beach to Lake Forest (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 46 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (36 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (13 to 18 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Long Beach to central Lake Forest 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 Long Beach to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 46 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Long Beach to Lake Forest?

The 34-mile drive usually takes 35 to 46 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Long Beach to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 46 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Orange County (23 miles) · SR-22 East in Orange County (1.2 miles)

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

More drives

Lake Forest to Long Beach (return trip) · Long Beach to Los Angeles · Long Beach to Santa Monica · Long Beach to Pasadena · Long Beach to West Covina · Long Beach to Burbank · Long Beach to Glendale · Long Beach to Santa Clarita · Long Beach to Van Nuys · Long Beach to LAX · Long Beach to Hollywood · Long Beach to Culver City

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	37	38	38	37	37	38	37	38	38	39	42	39	36	36	35
Tue	35	36	37	39	38	38	37	38	38	37	38	40	45	39	37	36	35
Wed	35	36	38	39	39	39	38	38	38	38	39	41	46	39	38	39	36
Thu	35	36	38	38	38	38	38	38	38	37	38	40	42	39	37	37	35
Fri	35	36	37	38	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	38	37	37	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	37	38	38	37	37	38	37	38	38	39	42	39	36	36	35
Tue	35	36	37	39	38	38	37	38	38	37	38	40	45	39	37	36	35
Wed	35	36	38	39	39	39	38	38	38	38	39	41	46	39	38	39	36
Thu	35	36	38	38	38	38	38	38	38	37	38	40	42	39	37	37	35
Fri	35	36	37	38	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	38	37	37	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	36	37	38	38	37	37	38	37	38	38	39	42	39	36	36	35
Tue	35	36	37	39	38	38	37	38	38	37	38	40	45	39	37	36	35
Wed	35	36	38	39	39	39	38	38	38	38	39	41	46	39	38	39	36
Thu	35	36	38	38	38	38	38	38	38	37	38	40	42	39	37	37	35
Fri	35	36	37	38	38	37	37	37	37	37	38	38	38	37	37	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	36	35