Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Glendale

Right now (6:48 pm PDT): about 68 minutes via I-5 North, usually 71 at this time.

Only 8% 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 Glendale 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	55	72	76	82	77	69	69	70	72	74	78	78	74	68	61	55	54
Tue	55	70	79	83	82	73	70	69	72	75	80	82	77	72	64	56	54
Wed	55	70	77	80	80	73	71	70	71	73	79	82	78	75	65	57	54
Thu	55	69	76	80	78	71	71	70	73	75	81	85	79	73	69	60	54
Fri	55	68	70	72	70	71	71	74	78	79	83	83	81	77	69	61	54
Sat	54	56	57	59	66	73	74	74	75	74	75	77	73	73	72	63	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	57	62	69	71	73	74	76	70	72	71	71	63	54

About this drive

On weekdays the 61-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Glendale (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 54 minutes and up to 86 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 72 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (77 minutes).

About 60 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.9 miles surface streets (1 to 2 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 Glendale 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 Glendale?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 54 minutes then, versus up to 86 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 61-mile drive usually takes 54 to 86 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 72 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to Glendale?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 86 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (28 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (18 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

Glendale 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	55	72	76	82	77	69	69	70	72	74	78	78	74	68	61	55	54
Tue	55	70	79	83	82	73	70	69	72	75	80	82	77	72	64	56	54
Wed	55	70	77	80	80	73	71	70	71	73	79	82	78	75	65	57	54
Thu	55	69	76	80	78	71	71	70	73	75	81	85	79	73	69	60	54
Fri	55	68	70	72	70	71	71	74	78	79	83	83	81	77	69	61	54
Sat	54	56	57	59	66	73	74	74	75	74	75	77	73	73	72	63	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	57	62	69	71	73	74	76	70	72	71	71	63	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	72	76	82	77	69	69	70	72	74	78	78	74	68	61	55	54
Tue	55	70	79	83	82	73	70	69	72	75	80	82	77	72	64	56	54
Wed	55	70	77	80	80	73	71	70	71	73	79	82	78	75	65	57	54
Thu	55	69	76	80	78	71	71	70	73	75	81	85	79	73	69	60	54
Fri	55	68	70	72	70	71	71	74	78	79	83	83	81	77	69	61	54
Sat	54	56	57	59	66	73	74	74	75	74	75	77	73	73	72	63	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	57	62	69	71	73	74	76	70	72	71	71	63	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	72	76	82	77	69	69	70	72	74	78	78	74	68	61	55	54
Tue	55	70	79	83	82	73	70	69	72	75	80	82	77	72	64	56	54
Wed	55	70	77	80	80	73	71	70	71	73	79	82	78	75	65	57	54
Thu	55	69	76	80	78	71	71	70	73	75	81	85	79	73	69	60	54
Fri	55	68	70	72	70	71	71	74	78	79	83	83	81	77	69	61	54
Sat	54	56	57	59	66	73	74	74	75	74	75	77	73	73	72	63	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	57	62	69	71	73	74	76	70	72	71	71	63	54