Best Time to Drive from Norwalk to Lake Forest

Right now (7:48 pm PDT): about 31 minutes via I-5 South, usually 32 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 Norwalk 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	30	34	42	48	41	33	33	32	33	33	34	34	36	32	32	32	31
Tue	30	35	49	55	44	36	34	34	34	33	35	36	40	35	32	32	31
Wed	30	34	46	55	44	36	34	34	34	33	35	37	41	36	32	32	31
Thu	30	34	47	52	45	37	35	35	35	33	36	39	41	34	31	31	31
Fri	30	34	40	41	37	34	34	33	34	35	38	38	40	37	34	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	33	33	34	34	34	35	34	35	35	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	33	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Norwalk to Lake Forest (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 56 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (35 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 12 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Norwalk 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 Norwalk to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 56 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 33-mile drive usually takes 30 to 56 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Norwalk to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 56 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (25 miles) · SR-133 North in Orange County (1.5 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Lake Forest to Norwalk (return trip) · Norwalk to Los Angeles · Norwalk to Long Beach · Norwalk to Irvine · Norwalk to Staten Island · Norwalk to Anaheim · Norwalk to Riverside · Norwalk to Santa Ana · Norwalk to San Bernardino · Norwalk to Fontana · Norwalk to Oxnard · Norwalk to Moreno Valley

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	34	42	48	41	33	33	32	33	33	34	34	36	32	32	32	31
Tue	30	35	49	55	44	36	34	34	34	33	35	36	40	35	32	32	31
Wed	30	34	46	55	44	36	34	34	34	33	35	37	41	36	32	32	31
Thu	30	34	47	52	45	37	35	35	35	33	36	39	41	34	31	31	31
Fri	30	34	40	41	37	34	34	33	34	35	38	38	40	37	34	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	33	33	34	34	34	35	34	35	35	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	34	42	48	41	33	33	32	33	33	34	34	36	32	32	32	31
Tue	30	35	49	55	44	36	34	34	34	33	35	36	40	35	32	32	31
Wed	30	34	46	55	44	36	34	34	34	33	35	37	41	36	32	32	31
Thu	30	34	47	52	45	37	35	35	35	33	36	39	41	34	31	31	31
Fri	30	34	40	41	37	34	34	33	34	35	38	38	40	37	34	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	33	33	34	34	34	35	34	35	35	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	34	42	48	41	33	33	32	33	33	34	34	36	32	32	32	31
Tue	30	35	49	55	44	36	34	34	34	33	35	36	40	35	32	32	31
Wed	30	34	46	55	44	36	34	34	34	33	35	37	41	36	32	32	31
Thu	30	34	47	52	45	37	35	35	35	33	36	39	41	34	31	31	31
Fri	30	34	40	41	37	34	34	33	34	35	38	38	40	37	34	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	33	33	34	34	34	35	34	35	35	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	33	31