Best Time to Drive from Mid-City to Lake Forest

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 70 minutes via I-5 South, usually 66 at this time.

Only 2% 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 Mid-City 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	49	59	74	72	59	56	61	59	62	63	81	92	88	81	60	52	50
Tue	48	58	82	81	62	56	58	60	61	66	82	97	94	86	69	56	49
Wed	48	57	82	80	64	56	58	57	60	65	72	81	80	72	65	56	50
Thu	48	56	79	78	63	58	63	64	67	71	86	93	93	85	68	54	51
Fri	48	55	70	68	61	58	59	63	68	80	90	93	92	84	66	55	52
Sat	49	50	51	54	57	57	62	62	64	67	66	64	62	61	57	56	52
Sun	49	49	49	50	51	57	58	63	63	65	64	62	62	59	60	57	52

About this drive

On weekdays the 54-mile drive from Mid-City to Lake Forest (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 101 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (67 minutes).

About 48 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Mid-City 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 Mid-City to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 101 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Mid-City to Lake Forest?

The 54-mile drive usually takes 48 to 101 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mid-City to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 101 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-133 North in Orange County (1.5 miles)

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

More drives

Lake Forest to Mid-City (return trip) · Mid-City to Fontana · Mid-City to Moreno Valley · Mid-City to Glendale · Mid-City to Lancaster · Mid-City to Palmdale · Mid-City to Valencia · Mid-City to Fullerton · Mid-City to East Los Angeles · Mid-City to Costa Mesa · Mid-City to Norwalk · Mid-City to Rialto

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	59	74	72	59	56	61	59	62	63	81	92	88	81	60	52	50
Tue	48	58	82	81	62	56	58	60	61	66	82	97	94	86	69	56	49
Wed	48	57	82	80	64	56	58	57	60	65	72	81	80	72	65	56	50
Thu	48	56	79	78	63	58	63	64	67	71	86	93	93	85	68	54	51
Fri	48	55	70	68	61	58	59	63	68	80	90	93	92	84	66	55	52
Sat	49	50	51	54	57	57	62	62	64	67	66	64	62	61	57	56	52
Sun	49	49	49	50	51	57	58	63	63	65	64	62	62	59	60	57	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	59	74	72	59	56	61	59	62	63	81	92	88	81	60	52	50
Tue	48	58	82	81	62	56	58	60	61	66	82	97	94	86	69	56	49
Wed	48	57	82	80	64	56	58	57	60	65	72	81	80	72	65	56	50
Thu	48	56	79	78	63	58	63	64	67	71	86	93	93	85	68	54	51
Fri	48	55	70	68	61	58	59	63	68	80	90	93	92	84	66	55	52
Sat	49	50	51	54	57	57	62	62	64	67	66	64	62	61	57	56	52
Sun	49	49	49	50	51	57	58	63	63	65	64	62	62	59	60	57	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	59	74	72	59	56	61	59	62	63	81	92	88	81	60	52	50
Tue	48	58	82	81	62	56	58	60	61	66	82	97	94	86	69	56	49
Wed	48	57	82	80	64	56	58	57	60	65	72	81	80	72	65	56	50
Thu	48	56	79	78	63	58	63	64	67	71	86	93	93	85	68	54	51
Fri	48	55	70	68	61	58	59	63	68	80	90	93	92	84	66	55	52
Sat	49	50	51	54	57	57	62	62	64	67	66	64	62	61	57	56	52
Sun	49	49	49	50	51	57	58	63	63	65	64	62	62	59	60	57	52