Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to South Gate

Right now (7:06 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via I-5 North and SR-241 North, usually 53 at this time.

Only 4% 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 South Gate 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	46	49	55	58	53	50	52	52	55	56	60	61	63	59	54	50	47
Tue	46	50	58	60	59	55	55	54	55	55	60	63	64	61	56	49	47
Wed	47	49	60	62	59	56	54	55	56	57	63	62	62	60	54	49	47
Thu	47	50	57	56	55	54	56	56	55	57	61	65	66	61	56	50	47
Fri	47	50	57	59	52	55	55	57	57	58	61	62	65	61	54	50	46
Sat	47	48	48	49	48	51	52	52	52	54	56	56	56	54	53	50	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	50	50	52	53	53	53	54	54	54	51	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 50-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to South Gate (via I-5 North and SR-241 North) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (57 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 19 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 South Gate 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 South Gate?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 50-mile drive usually takes 46 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to South Gate?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (28 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 · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

South Gate 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	46	49	55	58	53	50	52	52	55	56	60	61	63	59	54	50	47
Tue	46	50	58	60	59	55	55	54	55	55	60	63	64	61	56	49	47
Wed	47	49	60	62	59	56	54	55	56	57	63	62	62	60	54	49	47
Thu	47	50	57	56	55	54	56	56	55	57	61	65	66	61	56	50	47
Fri	47	50	57	59	52	55	55	57	57	58	61	62	65	61	54	50	46
Sat	47	48	48	49	48	51	52	52	52	54	56	56	56	54	53	50	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	50	50	52	53	53	53	54	54	54	51	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	49	55	58	53	50	52	52	55	56	60	61	63	59	54	50	47
Tue	46	50	58	60	59	55	55	54	55	55	60	63	64	61	56	49	47
Wed	47	49	60	62	59	56	54	55	56	57	63	62	62	60	54	49	47
Thu	47	50	57	56	55	54	56	56	55	57	61	65	66	61	56	50	47
Fri	47	50	57	59	52	55	55	57	57	58	61	62	65	61	54	50	46
Sat	47	48	48	49	48	51	52	52	52	54	56	56	56	54	53	50	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	50	50	52	53	53	53	54	54	54	51	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	49	55	58	53	50	52	52	55	56	60	61	63	59	54	50	47
Tue	46	50	58	60	59	55	55	54	55	55	60	63	64	61	56	49	47
Wed	47	49	60	62	59	56	54	55	56	57	63	62	62	60	54	49	47
Thu	47	50	57	56	55	54	56	56	55	57	61	65	66	61	56	50	47
Fri	47	50	57	59	52	55	55	57	57	58	61	62	65	61	54	50	46
Sat	47	48	48	49	48	51	52	52	52	54	56	56	56	54	53	50	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	49	50	50	52	53	53	53	54	54	54	51	47