Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Glendale

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 73 minutes via I-5 North, usually 76 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	81	77	69	69	70	72	74	77	79	75	69	61	56	54
Tue	55	70	78	82	80	72	69	68	71	75	80	81	78	74	65	56	54
Wed	55	68	74	78	78	72	71	69	71	73	78	83	79	76	66	58	54
Thu	55	68	75	78	77	70	71	71	73	75	81	85	78	73	69	60	54
Fri	55	67	69	72	70	71	71	73	77	79	83	83	81	78	70	61	54
Sat	54	56	57	59	63	69	71	71	74	74	74	76	73	73	71	63	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	57	62	68	70	73	73	75	70	72	73	70	63	55

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 85 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. 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 3:30 pm on Saturdays (76 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 85 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 85 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 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 85 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	81	77	69	69	70	72	74	77	79	75	69	61	56	54
Tue	55	70	78	82	80	72	69	68	71	75	80	81	78	74	65	56	54
Wed	55	68	74	78	78	72	71	69	71	73	78	83	79	76	66	58	54
Thu	55	68	75	78	77	70	71	71	73	75	81	85	78	73	69	60	54
Fri	55	67	69	72	70	71	71	73	77	79	83	83	81	78	70	61	54
Sat	54	56	57	59	63	69	71	71	74	74	74	76	73	73	71	63	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	57	62	68	70	73	73	75	70	72	73	70	63	55

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	72	76	81	77	69	69	70	72	74	77	79	75	69	61	56	54
Tue	55	70	78	82	80	72	69	68	71	75	80	81	78	74	65	56	54
Wed	55	68	74	78	78	72	71	69	71	73	78	83	79	76	66	58	54
Thu	55	68	75	78	77	70	71	71	73	75	81	85	78	73	69	60	54
Fri	55	67	69	72	70	71	71	73	77	79	83	83	81	78	70	61	54
Sat	54	56	57	59	63	69	71	71	74	74	74	76	73	73	71	63	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	57	62	68	70	73	73	75	70	72	73	70	63	55

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	72	76	81	77	69	69	70	72	74	77	79	75	69	61	56	54
Tue	55	70	78	82	80	72	69	68	71	75	80	81	78	74	65	56	54
Wed	55	68	74	78	78	72	71	69	71	73	78	83	79	76	66	58	54
Thu	55	68	75	78	77	70	71	71	73	75	81	85	78	73	69	60	54
Fri	55	67	69	72	70	71	71	73	77	79	83	83	81	78	70	61	54
Sat	54	56	57	59	63	69	71	71	74	74	74	76	73	73	71	63	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	57	62	68	70	73	73	75	70	72	73	70	63	55