Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Buena Park

Right now (5:06 pm PST): about 41 minutes via I-5 North and SR-241 North, usually 40 at this time.

Only 65% 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 Rancho Santa Margarita to Buena Park 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	29	30	31	34	32	31	33	33	35	35	37	38	39	37	33	31	30
Tue	30	30	31	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	37	38	40	39	35	31	30
Wed	30	30	31	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	37	38	40	40	36	32	30
Thu	30	30	31	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	36	38	39	38	36	32	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	33	34	34	34	35	38	38	40	38	35	33	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	33	33	34	33	34	34	34	32	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Buena Park (via I-5 North and SR-241 North) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 41 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (35 minutes).

Drive times are measured from central Rancho Santa Margarita to central Buena Park 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 Rancho Santa Margarita to Buena Park?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 41 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 34-mile drive usually takes 29 to 41 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to Buena Park?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 41 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (19 miles) · SR-241 North in Orange County (10 miles) · SR-133 South in Orange County (3 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (1.2 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Buena Park to Rancho Santa Margarita (return trip) · Rancho Santa Margarita to Los Angeles · Rancho Santa Margarita to San Diego · Rancho Santa Margarita to Long Beach · Rancho Santa Margarita to Anaheim · Rancho Santa Margarita to Riverside · Rancho Santa Margarita to Santa Ana · Rancho Santa Margarita to Irvine · Rancho Santa Margarita to San Bernardino · Rancho Santa Margarita to Fontana · Rancho Santa Margarita to Moreno Valley · Rancho Santa Margarita 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	29	30	31	34	32	31	33	33	35	35	37	38	39	37	33	31	30
Tue	30	30	31	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	37	38	40	39	35	31	30
Wed	30	30	31	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	37	38	40	40	36	32	30
Thu	30	30	31	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	36	38	39	38	36	32	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	33	34	34	34	35	38	38	40	38	35	33	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	33	33	34	33	34	34	34	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	31	34	32	31	33	33	35	35	37	38	39	37	33	31	30
Tue	30	30	31	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	37	38	40	39	35	31	30
Wed	30	30	31	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	37	38	40	40	36	32	30
Thu	30	30	31	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	36	38	39	38	36	32	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	33	34	34	34	35	38	38	40	38	35	33	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	33	33	34	33	34	34	34	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	31	34	32	31	33	33	35	35	37	38	39	37	33	31	30
Tue	30	30	31	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	37	38	40	39	35	31	30
Wed	30	30	31	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	37	38	40	40	36	32	30
Thu	30	30	31	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	36	38	39	38	36	32	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	33	34	34	34	35	38	38	40	38	35	33	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	33	33	34	33	34	34	34	32	30