Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Long Beach

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 45 minutes via I-405 North and SR-241 North, usually 42 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 Long 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	41	42	42	43	44	43	44	44	44	45	45	47	48	46	43	43	41
Tue	40	41	42	44	44	44	44	44	44	44	45	47	51	50	43	42	41
Wed	40	41	42	45	46	47	46	47	46	47	48	51	52	50	48	48	41
Thu	40	42	42	44	45	45	45	45	46	45	45	48	48	47	45	43	41
Fri	41	41	42	44	43	43	43	43	43	44	46	46	47	45	43	42	41
Sat	41	41	41	41	42	42	43	43	43	43	43	43	43	43	42	42	40
Sun	41	41	41	41	42	43	43	43	43	43	43	43	42	42	42	42	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Long Beach (via I-405 North and SR-241 North) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 53 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 10 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 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 downtown Long 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 Long Beach?

On weekdays, leave before 10 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 53 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 43-mile drive usually takes 40 to 53 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

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

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 53 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Orange County (20 miles) · SR-241 North in Orange County (10 miles) · SR-133 South in Orange County (4 miles) · SR-22 West in Orange County (1.6 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (1.3 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Long Beach to Rancho Santa Margarita (return trip) · Rancho Santa Margarita to Los Angeles · Rancho Santa Margarita to San Diego

Open the live traffic map →

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

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

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