Best Time to Drive from Northridge to Lake Forest

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 113 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 102 at this time.

Only 23% 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 Northridge 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	69	79	91	87	78	77	80	82	85	94	121	127	118	102	88	74	68
Tue	66	83	99	94	80	79	80	82	84	103	128	128	120	106	93	77	67
Wed	66	82	100	93	82	78	79	80	81	90	104	119	116	98	88	79	68
Thu	67	82	98	96	82	81	85	86	89	106	131	143	132	110	91	80	69
Fri	67	78	89	88	82	80	83	89	97	122	135	136	133	114	92	80	69
Sat	67	68	70	74	78	79	84	86	91	94	100	92	92	85	81	79	70
Sun	67	67	67	68	71	76	78	82	83	86	90	93	89	86	82	81	71

About this drive

On weekdays the 71-mile drive from Northridge to Lake Forest (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 66 minutes and up to 143 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 88 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (100 minutes).

About 62 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (12 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northridge 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 Northridge to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 66 minutes then, versus up to 143 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 71-mile drive usually takes 66 to 143 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 88 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 143 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (4 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 Northridge (return trip) · Northridge to Los Angeles · Northridge to Rancho Cucamonga · Northridge to Long Beach · Northridge to Anaheim · Northridge to Riverside · Northridge to Santa Ana · Northridge to Irvine · Northridge to Fontana · Northridge to Oxnard · Northridge to Huntington Beach · Northridge 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	69	79	91	87	78	77	80	82	85	94	121	127	118	102	88	74	68
Tue	66	83	99	94	80	79	80	82	84	103	128	128	120	106	93	77	67
Wed	66	82	100	93	82	78	79	80	81	90	104	119	116	98	88	79	68
Thu	67	82	98	96	82	81	85	86	89	106	131	143	132	110	91	80	69
Fri	67	78	89	88	82	80	83	89	97	122	135	136	133	114	92	80	69
Sat	67	68	70	74	78	79	84	86	91	94	100	92	92	85	81	79	70
Sun	67	67	67	68	71	76	78	82	83	86	90	93	89	86	82	81	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	69	79	91	87	78	77	80	82	85	94	121	127	118	102	88	74	68
Tue	66	83	99	94	80	79	80	82	84	103	128	128	120	106	93	77	67
Wed	66	82	100	93	82	78	79	80	81	90	104	119	116	98	88	79	68
Thu	67	82	98	96	82	81	85	86	89	106	131	143	132	110	91	80	69
Fri	67	78	89	88	82	80	83	89	97	122	135	136	133	114	92	80	69
Sat	67	68	70	74	78	79	84	86	91	94	100	92	92	85	81	79	70
Sun	67	67	67	68	71	76	78	82	83	86	90	93	89	86	82	81	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	69	79	91	87	78	77	80	82	85	94	121	127	118	102	88	74	68
Tue	66	83	99	94	80	79	80	82	84	103	128	128	120	106	93	77	67
Wed	66	82	100	93	82	78	79	80	81	90	104	119	116	98	88	79	68
Thu	67	82	98	96	82	81	85	86	89	106	131	143	132	110	91	80	69
Fri	67	78	89	88	82	80	83	89	97	122	135	136	133	114	92	80	69
Sat	67	68	70	74	78	79	84	86	91	94	100	92	92	85	81	79	70
Sun	67	67	67	68	71	76	78	82	83	86	90	93	89	86	82	81	71