Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Riverside

Right now (7:09 pm PDT): about 49 minutes via SR-241 North and SR-91 East, usually 45 at this time.

Only 30% 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 Riverside 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	39	40	43	43	42	43	43	44	46	48	53	54	54	47	44	42	40
Tue	39	40	46	45	43	42	43	43	44	50	55	55	54	48	45	44	40
Wed	39	40	45	46	42	42	42	44	45	50	51	52	53	46	44	43	40
Thu	39	40	44	44	42	42	43	43	45	49	54	56	55	48	45	43	40
Fri	39	40	41	43	42	43	43	45	51	56	61	59	56	52	46	43	40
Sat	39	40	40	40	41	42	42	42	42	44	45	46	46	45	43	42	39
Sun	40	39	40	40	41	41	42	41	41	41	42	42	41	41	41	42	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Riverside (via SR-241 North and SR-91 East) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 61 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (46 minutes).

About 44 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.6 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Rancho Santa Margarita to central Riverside 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 Riverside?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 61 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 44-mile drive usually takes 39 to 61 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to Riverside?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 61 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-241 North in Orange County (22 miles) · SR-91 East in Orange County (20 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (1.2 miles) · SR-91 East in Inland Empire (1.1 miles)

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

More drives

Riverside 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 Santa Ana

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	40	43	43	42	43	43	44	46	48	53	54	54	47	44	42	40
Tue	39	40	46	45	43	42	43	43	44	50	55	55	54	48	45	44	40
Wed	39	40	45	46	42	42	42	44	45	50	51	52	53	46	44	43	40
Thu	39	40	44	44	42	42	43	43	45	49	54	56	55	48	45	43	40
Fri	39	40	41	43	42	43	43	45	51	56	61	59	56	52	46	43	40
Sat	39	40	40	40	41	42	42	42	42	44	45	46	46	45	43	42	39
Sun	40	39	40	40	41	41	42	41	41	41	42	42	41	41	41	42	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	40	43	43	42	43	43	44	46	48	53	54	54	47	44	42	40
Tue	39	40	46	45	43	42	43	43	44	50	55	55	54	48	45	44	40
Wed	39	40	45	46	42	42	42	44	45	50	51	52	53	46	44	43	40
Thu	39	40	44	44	42	42	43	43	45	49	54	56	55	48	45	43	40
Fri	39	40	41	43	42	43	43	45	51	56	61	59	56	52	46	43	40
Sat	39	40	40	40	41	42	42	42	42	44	45	46	46	45	43	42	39
Sun	40	39	40	40	41	41	42	41	41	41	42	42	41	41	41	42	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	40	43	43	42	43	43	44	46	48	53	54	54	47	44	42	40
Tue	39	40	46	45	43	42	43	43	44	50	55	55	54	48	45	44	40
Wed	39	40	45	46	42	42	42	44	45	50	51	52	53	46	44	43	40
Thu	39	40	44	44	42	42	43	43	45	49	54	56	55	48	45	43	40
Fri	39	40	41	43	42	43	43	45	51	56	61	59	56	52	46	43	40
Sat	39	40	40	40	41	42	42	42	42	44	45	46	46	45	43	42	39
Sun	40	39	40	40	41	41	42	41	41	41	42	42	41	41	41	42	39