Best Time to Drive from Pico Rivera to Lake Forest

Right now (6:20 pm PDT): about 49 minutes via I-5 South, usually 38 at this time.

Only 41% 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 Pico Rivera 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	35	39	50	56	46	38	38	38	38	38	38	39	42	38	37	37	36
Tue	35	40	59	61	50	41	39	39	39	39	39	40	44	39	36	37	36
Wed	35	40	58	62	50	42	40	39	39	38	39	40	44	40	37	37	36
Thu	35	40	56	60	51	43	41	41	41	38	38	39	42	38	36	37	36
Fri	35	39	47	48	42	39	39	38	38	38	42	41	42	40	38	38	37
Sat	36	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	40	40	40	39	38	37	37	36
Sun	36	36	36	36	37	37	38	38	38	38	39	38	38	38	38	38	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Pico Rivera to Lake Forest (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 65 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 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (40 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Pico Rivera 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 Pico Rivera to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 65 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Pico Rivera to Lake Forest?

The 38-mile drive usually takes 35 to 65 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pico Rivera to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 65 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (5 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 Pico Rivera (return trip) · Pico Rivera to Los Angeles · Pico Rivera to Long Beach · Pico Rivera to Anaheim · Pico Rivera to Riverside · Pico Rivera to Santa Ana · Pico Rivera to Irvine · Pico Rivera to San Bernardino · Pico Rivera to Fontana · Pico Rivera to Oxnard · Pico Rivera to Moreno Valley · Pico Rivera to Huntington Beach

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	39	50	56	46	38	38	38	38	38	38	39	42	38	37	37	36
Tue	35	40	59	61	50	41	39	39	39	39	39	40	44	39	36	37	36
Wed	35	40	58	62	50	42	40	39	39	38	39	40	44	40	37	37	36
Thu	35	40	56	60	51	43	41	41	41	38	38	39	42	38	36	37	36
Fri	35	39	47	48	42	39	39	38	38	38	42	41	42	40	38	38	37
Sat	36	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	40	40	40	39	38	37	37	36
Sun	36	36	36	36	37	37	38	38	38	38	39	38	38	38	38	38	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	39	50	56	46	38	38	38	38	38	38	39	42	38	37	37	36
Tue	35	40	59	61	50	41	39	39	39	39	39	40	44	39	36	37	36
Wed	35	40	58	62	50	42	40	39	39	38	39	40	44	40	37	37	36
Thu	35	40	56	60	51	43	41	41	41	38	38	39	42	38	36	37	36
Fri	35	39	47	48	42	39	39	38	38	38	42	41	42	40	38	38	37
Sat	36	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	40	40	40	39	38	37	37	36
Sun	36	36	36	36	37	37	38	38	38	38	39	38	38	38	38	38	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	39	50	56	46	38	38	38	38	38	38	39	42	38	37	37	36
Tue	35	40	59	61	50	41	39	39	39	39	39	40	44	39	36	37	36
Wed	35	40	58	62	50	42	40	39	39	38	39	40	44	40	37	37	36
Thu	35	40	56	60	51	43	41	41	41	38	38	39	42	38	36	37	36
Fri	35	39	47	48	42	39	39	38	38	38	42	41	42	40	38	38	37
Sat	36	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	40	40	40	39	38	37	37	36
Sun	36	36	36	36	37	37	38	38	38	38	39	38	38	38	38	38	36