Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Sylmar

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 71 minutes via I-5 North.

Only 43% 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 Sylmar 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	72	85	89	95	91	87	86	87	89	89	94	97	92	87	78	73	71
Tue	72	85	92	97	94	89	87	86	87	89	99	104	98	91	82	74	71
Wed	72	82	89	93	92	88	88	86	86	87	98	104	100	93	83	75	72
Thu	72	83	89	93	93	88	88	87	87	89	100	109	101	92	85	76	72
Fri	72	83	84	87	87	87	87	89	90	94	102	100	99	94	86	78	72
Sat	71	73	74	75	80	84	85	84	86	86	87	88	86	86	85	77	73
Sun	71	72	72	72	74	77	82	84	86	87	87	85	86	87	85	78	72

About this drive

On weekdays the 81-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Sylmar (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 71 minutes and up to 109 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 88 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (88 minutes).

About 80 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.9 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 Sylmar 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 Sylmar?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 71 minutes then, versus up to 109 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 81-mile drive usually takes 71 to 109 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 88 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to Sylmar?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 109 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (28 miles) · I-210 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (15 miles) · SR-241 North in Orange County (10 miles) · SR-2 East in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-133 South in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

Sylmar 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	72	85	89	95	91	87	86	87	89	89	94	97	92	87	78	73	71
Tue	72	85	92	97	94	89	87	86	87	89	99	104	98	91	82	74	71
Wed	72	82	89	93	92	88	88	86	86	87	98	104	100	93	83	75	72
Thu	72	83	89	93	93	88	88	87	87	89	100	109	101	92	85	76	72
Fri	72	83	84	87	87	87	87	89	90	94	102	100	99	94	86	78	72
Sat	71	73	74	75	80	84	85	84	86	86	87	88	86	86	85	77	73
Sun	71	72	72	72	74	77	82	84	86	87	87	85	86	87	85	78	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	85	89	95	91	87	86	87	89	89	94	97	92	87	78	73	71
Tue	72	85	92	97	94	89	87	86	87	89	99	104	98	91	82	74	71
Wed	72	82	89	93	92	88	88	86	86	87	98	104	100	93	83	75	72
Thu	72	83	89	93	93	88	88	87	87	89	100	109	101	92	85	76	72
Fri	72	83	84	87	87	87	87	89	90	94	102	100	99	94	86	78	72
Sat	71	73	74	75	80	84	85	84	86	86	87	88	86	86	85	77	73
Sun	71	72	72	72	74	77	82	84	86	87	87	85	86	87	85	78	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	85	89	95	91	87	86	87	89	89	94	97	92	87	78	73	71
Tue	72	85	92	97	94	89	87	86	87	89	99	104	98	91	82	74	71
Wed	72	82	89	93	92	88	88	86	86	87	98	104	100	93	83	75	72
Thu	72	83	89	93	93	88	88	87	87	89	100	109	101	92	85	76	72
Fri	72	83	84	87	87	87	87	89	90	94	102	100	99	94	86	78	72
Sat	71	73	74	75	80	84	85	84	86	86	87	88	86	86	85	77	73
Sun	71	72	72	72	74	77	82	84	86	87	87	85	86	87	85	78	72