Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Torrance

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 61 minutes via I-405 North, usually 55 at this time.

None 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 Torrance 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	50	50	51	53	52	52	52	53	54	55	61	73	83	64	53	53	52
Tue	50	50	51	53	53	53	53	54	54	59	63	75	83	71	57	53	50
Wed	50	50	51	53	53	53	54	54	55	60	66	76	81	70	59	57	51
Thu	50	50	51	53	53	53	54	54	55	60	66	74	77	67	59	54	50
Fri	50	50	51	52	52	53	53	54	57	64	69	74	78	66	60	56	51
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	56	56	54	54	55	55	54	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	54	54	53	55	58	61	54

About this drive

On weekdays the 56-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Torrance (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 49 minutes and up to 83 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Mondays. The fastest times to leave are before 1 pm or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 8 pm on Sundays (61 minutes).

About 53 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 6 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 Torrance 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 Torrance?

On weekdays, leave before 1 pm or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 83 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 56-mile drive usually takes 49 to 83 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to Torrance?

Leaving around 5 pm on Mondays is usually slowest, about 83 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Orange County (24 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (13 miles) · SR-241 North in Orange County (10 miles) · SR-133 South in Orange County (4 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

Torrance 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	50	50	51	53	52	52	52	53	54	55	61	73	83	64	53	53	52
Tue	50	50	51	53	53	53	53	54	54	59	63	75	83	71	57	53	50
Wed	50	50	51	53	53	53	54	54	55	60	66	76	81	70	59	57	51
Thu	50	50	51	53	53	53	54	54	55	60	66	74	77	67	59	54	50
Fri	50	50	51	52	52	53	53	54	57	64	69	74	78	66	60	56	51
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	56	56	54	54	55	55	54	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	54	54	53	55	58	61	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	50	51	53	52	52	52	53	54	55	61	73	83	64	53	53	52
Tue	50	50	51	53	53	53	53	54	54	59	63	75	83	71	57	53	50
Wed	50	50	51	53	53	53	54	54	55	60	66	76	81	70	59	57	51
Thu	50	50	51	53	53	53	54	54	55	60	66	74	77	67	59	54	50
Fri	50	50	51	52	52	53	53	54	57	64	69	74	78	66	60	56	51
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	56	56	54	54	55	55	54	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	54	54	53	55	58	61	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	50	51	53	52	52	52	53	54	55	61	73	83	64	53	53	52
Tue	50	50	51	53	53	53	53	54	54	59	63	75	83	71	57	53	50
Wed	50	50	51	53	53	53	54	54	55	60	66	76	81	70	59	57	51
Thu	50	50	51	53	53	53	54	54	55	60	66	74	77	67	59	54	50
Fri	50	50	51	52	52	53	53	54	57	64	69	74	78	66	60	56	51
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	56	56	54	54	55	55	54	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	54	54	53	55	58	61	54