Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Huntington Beach

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 35 minutes via SR-241 North and I-405 North, usually 34 at this time.

None 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 Huntington Beach 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	33	33	33	34	35	35	34	34	34	35	34	35	35	34	33	33	33
Tue	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	35	34	35	35	35	36	36	34	33	33
Wed	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	35	35	35	35	36	37	38	34	33	33
Thu	33	33	34	35	35	36	35	36	35	35	35	36	36	36	34	34	33
Fri	33	33	34	36	35	35	36	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	34	34	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	36	35	34	34	34	34	34	34	33	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	34	33	33	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Huntington Beach (via SR-241 North and I-405 North) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 38 minutes, when leaving around 6 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5 pm or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (36 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (10 to 12 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 Huntington Beach 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 Huntington Beach?

On weekdays, leave before 5 pm or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 38 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 33-mile drive usually takes 33 to 38 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to Huntington Beach?

Leaving around 6 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 38 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-241 North in Orange County (10 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (7 miles) · SR-133 South in Orange County (4 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (4 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (1.3 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Huntington Beach 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 Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

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

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

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