Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Ontario

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 58 minutes via SR-241 North and SR-91 East, usually 50 at this time.

Only 7% 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 Ontario 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	40	43	53	50	46	44	45	45	45	49	58	60	58	47	44	43	40
Tue	40	44	54	53	49	46	46	45	46	52	58	60	59	48	45	44	41
Wed	40	43	54	53	47	45	44	45	46	52	58	59	59	49	44	43	41
Thu	40	42	53	51	46	45	45	45	47	52	60	60	60	51	45	43	41
Fri	40	41	43	44	44	45	45	47	56	60	62	61	59	50	46	44	41
Sat	40	41	41	41	43	44	47	44	44	46	50	48	49	46	44	42	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	43	42	42	42	41	41	41	42	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Ontario (via SR-241 North and SR-91 East) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 62 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 47 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (50 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (13 to 28 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 Ontario 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 Ontario?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 62 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 40 to 62 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 47 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to Ontario?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 62 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-241 North in Orange County (22 miles) · SR-91 East in Orange County (7 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (1.2 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

Ontario 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	40	43	53	50	46	44	45	45	45	49	58	60	58	47	44	43	40
Tue	40	44	54	53	49	46	46	45	46	52	58	60	59	48	45	44	41
Wed	40	43	54	53	47	45	44	45	46	52	58	59	59	49	44	43	41
Thu	40	42	53	51	46	45	45	45	47	52	60	60	60	51	45	43	41
Fri	40	41	43	44	44	45	45	47	56	60	62	61	59	50	46	44	41
Sat	40	41	41	41	43	44	47	44	44	46	50	48	49	46	44	42	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	43	42	42	42	41	41	41	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	43	53	50	46	44	45	45	45	49	58	60	58	47	44	43	40
Tue	40	44	54	53	49	46	46	45	46	52	58	60	59	48	45	44	41
Wed	40	43	54	53	47	45	44	45	46	52	58	59	59	49	44	43	41
Thu	40	42	53	51	46	45	45	45	47	52	60	60	60	51	45	43	41
Fri	40	41	43	44	44	45	45	47	56	60	62	61	59	50	46	44	41
Sat	40	41	41	41	43	44	47	44	44	46	50	48	49	46	44	42	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	43	42	42	42	41	41	41	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	43	53	50	46	44	45	45	45	49	58	60	58	47	44	43	40
Tue	40	44	54	53	49	46	46	45	46	52	58	60	59	48	45	44	41
Wed	40	43	54	53	47	45	44	45	46	52	58	59	59	49	44	43	41
Thu	40	42	53	51	46	45	45	45	47	52	60	60	60	51	45	43	41
Fri	40	41	43	44	44	45	45	47	56	60	62	61	59	50	46	44	41
Sat	40	41	41	41	43	44	47	44	44	46	50	48	49	46	44	42	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	43	42	42	42	41	41	41	42	40