Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Norwalk

Right now (6:20 pm PDT): about 47 minutes via I-5 North and SR-241 North, usually 44 at this time.

Only 64% 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 Norwalk 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	34	35	36	39	38	36	38	38	40	40	43	43	44	43	38	36	34
Tue	34	35	37	39	39	38	39	39	40	40	43	45	46	45	41	36	35
Wed	35	35	37	39	39	38	39	40	40	40	44	45	47	46	41	37	34
Thu	35	35	37	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	42	45	46	44	41	37	35
Fri	35	36	36	37	37	39	39	40	40	41	45	45	47	45	40	38	34
Sat	35	35	35	36	36	38	38	39	39	39	40	40	40	39	39	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	36	38	37	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	37	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Norwalk (via I-5 North and SR-241 North) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 47 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.6 miles surface streets (2 to 4 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 Norwalk 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 Norwalk?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 47 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 39-mile drive usually takes 34 to 47 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to Norwalk?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 47 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (23 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

More drives

Norwalk 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	34	35	36	39	38	36	38	38	40	40	43	43	44	43	38	36	34
Tue	34	35	37	39	39	38	39	39	40	40	43	45	46	45	41	36	35
Wed	35	35	37	39	39	38	39	40	40	40	44	45	47	46	41	37	34
Thu	35	35	37	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	42	45	46	44	41	37	35
Fri	35	36	36	37	37	39	39	40	40	41	45	45	47	45	40	38	34
Sat	35	35	35	36	36	38	38	39	39	39	40	40	40	39	39	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	36	38	37	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	37	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	35	36	39	38	36	38	38	40	40	43	43	44	43	38	36	34
Tue	34	35	37	39	39	38	39	39	40	40	43	45	46	45	41	36	35
Wed	35	35	37	39	39	38	39	40	40	40	44	45	47	46	41	37	34
Thu	35	35	37	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	42	45	46	44	41	37	35
Fri	35	36	36	37	37	39	39	40	40	41	45	45	47	45	40	38	34
Sat	35	35	35	36	36	38	38	39	39	39	40	40	40	39	39	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	36	38	37	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	37	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	35	36	39	38	36	38	38	40	40	43	43	44	43	38	36	34
Tue	34	35	37	39	39	38	39	39	40	40	43	45	46	45	41	36	35
Wed	35	35	37	39	39	38	39	40	40	40	44	45	47	46	41	37	34
Thu	35	35	37	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	42	45	46	44	41	37	35
Fri	35	36	36	37	37	39	39	40	40	41	45	45	47	45	40	38	34
Sat	35	35	35	36	36	38	38	39	39	39	40	40	40	39	39	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	36	38	37	39	39	39	39	39	40	40	37	34