Best Time to Drive from Norwalk to Rancho Santa Margarita

Right now (6:20 pm PDT): about 39 minutes via I-5 South and SR-241 South, usually 36 at this time.

Only 61% 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 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	33	36	45	51	43	36	35	35	36	35	36	36	39	35	34	34	34
Tue	33	37	50	57	47	38	36	36	36	36	37	38	42	38	34	35	34
Wed	33	37	48	56	47	39	37	36	36	36	38	39	43	39	35	35	34
Thu	33	37	48	55	47	39	37	38	37	36	38	39	42	36	34	34	34
Fri	33	36	43	44	39	36	36	36	36	37	40	40	41	39	37	35	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	37	37	38	37	36	35	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	35	35	35	35	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Norwalk to Rancho Santa Margarita (via I-5 South and SR-241 South) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 57 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.3 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Norwalk 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 Norwalk to Rancho Santa Margarita?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 57 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 38-mile drive usually takes 33 to 57 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Norwalk to Rancho Santa Margarita?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 57 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (25 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (8 miles) · SR-133 North in Orange County (3 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Rancho Santa Margarita 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	33	36	45	51	43	36	35	35	36	35	36	36	39	35	34	34	34
Tue	33	37	50	57	47	38	36	36	36	36	37	38	42	38	34	35	34
Wed	33	37	48	56	47	39	37	36	36	36	38	39	43	39	35	35	34
Thu	33	37	48	55	47	39	37	38	37	36	38	39	42	36	34	34	34
Fri	33	36	43	44	39	36	36	36	36	37	40	40	41	39	37	35	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	37	37	38	37	36	35	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	35	35	35	35	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	36	45	51	43	36	35	35	36	35	36	36	39	35	34	34	34
Tue	33	37	50	57	47	38	36	36	36	36	37	38	42	38	34	35	34
Wed	33	37	48	56	47	39	37	36	36	36	38	39	43	39	35	35	34
Thu	33	37	48	55	47	39	37	38	37	36	38	39	42	36	34	34	34
Fri	33	36	43	44	39	36	36	36	36	37	40	40	41	39	37	35	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	37	37	38	37	36	35	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	35	35	35	35	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	36	45	51	43	36	35	35	36	35	36	36	39	35	34	34	34
Tue	33	37	50	57	47	38	36	36	36	36	37	38	42	38	34	35	34
Wed	33	37	48	56	47	39	37	36	36	36	38	39	43	39	35	35	34
Thu	33	37	48	55	47	39	37	38	37	36	38	39	42	36	34	34	34
Fri	33	36	43	44	39	36	36	36	36	37	40	40	41	39	37	35	34
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	37	37	38	37	36	35	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	35	35	35	35	34