Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Downey

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via I-5 North and SR-241 North, usually 51 at this time.

Only 59% 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 Downey 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	40	42	44	48	46	44	46	46	48	50	54	55	55	51	45	42	40
Tue	40	42	47	49	48	46	46	47	48	49	54	58	60	54	48	42	40
Wed	40	42	46	48	47	46	46	48	48	49	55	59	60	55	48	43	40
Thu	40	42	45	47	47	46	47	47	48	50	54	59	59	52	48	43	40
Fri	40	42	44	45	44	46	47	48	49	52	57	58	58	54	48	44	40
Sat	40	41	42	42	42	44	45	45	46	46	48	48	48	46	45	43	40
Sun	40	41	41	41	42	42	44	44	45	45	46	46	46	46	47	44	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 45-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Downey (via I-5 North and SR-241 North) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 60 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 48 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 42 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (3 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Rancho Santa Margarita to central Downey 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 Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 60 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 45-mile drive usually takes 40 to 60 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 48 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to Downey?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 60 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (28 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 · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Downey 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	40	42	44	48	46	44	46	46	48	50	54	55	55	51	45	42	40
Tue	40	42	47	49	48	46	46	47	48	49	54	58	60	54	48	42	40
Wed	40	42	46	48	47	46	46	48	48	49	55	59	60	55	48	43	40
Thu	40	42	45	47	47	46	47	47	48	50	54	59	59	52	48	43	40
Fri	40	42	44	45	44	46	47	48	49	52	57	58	58	54	48	44	40
Sat	40	41	42	42	42	44	45	45	46	46	48	48	48	46	45	43	40
Sun	40	41	41	41	42	42	44	44	45	45	46	46	46	46	47	44	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	42	44	48	46	44	46	46	48	50	54	55	55	51	45	42	40
Tue	40	42	47	49	48	46	46	47	48	49	54	58	60	54	48	42	40
Wed	40	42	46	48	47	46	46	48	48	49	55	59	60	55	48	43	40
Thu	40	42	45	47	47	46	47	47	48	50	54	59	59	52	48	43	40
Fri	40	42	44	45	44	46	47	48	49	52	57	58	58	54	48	44	40
Sat	40	41	42	42	42	44	45	45	46	46	48	48	48	46	45	43	40
Sun	40	41	41	41	42	42	44	44	45	45	46	46	46	46	47	44	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	42	44	48	46	44	46	46	48	50	54	55	55	51	45	42	40
Tue	40	42	47	49	48	46	46	47	48	49	54	58	60	54	48	42	40
Wed	40	42	46	48	47	46	46	48	48	49	55	59	60	55	48	43	40
Thu	40	42	45	47	47	46	47	47	48	50	54	59	59	52	48	43	40
Fri	40	42	44	45	44	46	47	48	49	52	57	58	58	54	48	44	40
Sat	40	41	42	42	42	44	45	45	46	46	48	48	48	46	45	43	40
Sun	40	41	41	41	42	42	44	44	45	45	46	46	46	46	47	44	40