Best Time to Drive from Pasadena to Lake Forest

Right now (6:48 pm PDT): about 61 minutes via I-5 South, usually 58 at this time.

Only 33% 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 Pasadena 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	52	60	73	71	60	58	60	60	63	62	78	87	82	74	60	54	52
Tue	50	63	80	80	64	59	59	61	60	65	78	90	87	77	66	57	51
Wed	50	62	83	79	67	59	59	60	61	67	74	81	80	72	66	57	51
Thu	50	60	80	79	65	63	64	64	67	68	83	87	88	80	65	56	53
Fri	50	59	71	70	64	61	62	63	68	78	84	88	86	80	65	58	53
Sat	51	53	53	56	59	59	63	65	65	69	69	68	65	62	58	58	53
Sun	51	51	52	53	53	57	57	61	62	64	64	62	61	59	59	59	53

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from Pasadena to Lake Forest (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 95 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (69 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Old Pasadena 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 Pasadena to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 95 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 55-mile drive usually takes 50 to 95 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pasadena to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 95 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (17 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (6 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 Pasadena (return trip) · Pasadena to Santa Monica · Pasadena to Long Beach · Pasadena to West Covina · Pasadena to Burbank · Pasadena to Santa Clarita · Pasadena to Van Nuys · Pasadena to Torrance · Pasadena to Hollywood · Pasadena to Culver City · Pasadena to Whittier · Pasadena to Thousand Oaks

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	60	73	71	60	58	60	60	63	62	78	87	82	74	60	54	52
Tue	50	63	80	80	64	59	59	61	60	65	78	90	87	77	66	57	51
Wed	50	62	83	79	67	59	59	60	61	67	74	81	80	72	66	57	51
Thu	50	60	80	79	65	63	64	64	67	68	83	87	88	80	65	56	53
Fri	50	59	71	70	64	61	62	63	68	78	84	88	86	80	65	58	53
Sat	51	53	53	56	59	59	63	65	65	69	69	68	65	62	58	58	53
Sun	51	51	52	53	53	57	57	61	62	64	64	62	61	59	59	59	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	60	73	71	60	58	60	60	63	62	78	87	82	74	60	54	52
Tue	50	63	80	80	64	59	59	61	60	65	78	90	87	77	66	57	51
Wed	50	62	83	79	67	59	59	60	61	67	74	81	80	72	66	57	51
Thu	50	60	80	79	65	63	64	64	67	68	83	87	88	80	65	56	53
Fri	50	59	71	70	64	61	62	63	68	78	84	88	86	80	65	58	53
Sat	51	53	53	56	59	59	63	65	65	69	69	68	65	62	58	58	53
Sun	51	51	52	53	53	57	57	61	62	64	64	62	61	59	59	59	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	52	60	73	71	60	58	60	60	63	62	78	87	82	74	60	54	52
Tue	50	63	80	80	64	59	59	61	60	65	78	90	87	77	66	57	51
Wed	50	62	83	79	67	59	59	60	61	67	74	81	80	72	66	57	51
Thu	50	60	80	79	65	63	64	64	67	68	83	87	88	80	65	56	53
Fri	50	59	71	70	64	61	62	63	68	78	84	88	86	80	65	58	53
Sat	51	53	53	56	59	59	63	65	65	69	69	68	65	62	58	58	53
Sun	51	51	52	53	53	57	57	61	62	64	64	62	61	59	59	59	53