Best Time to Drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Van Nuys

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 100 minutes via I-5 North, usually 85 at this time.

Only 38% 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 Van Nuys 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	66	84	86	91	87	81	81	81	85	89	93	104	97	83	72	66	64
Tue	66	82	91	94	92	85	82	80	84	90	98	110	102	87	77	67	65
Wed	65	80	86	89	90	83	82	81	83	86	105	118	110	92	79	68	65
Thu	66	80	87	91	89	83	82	82	85	91	104	117	104	89	80	71	65
Fri	66	78	80	83	82	83	83	85	91	95	103	102	100	90	80	71	65
Sat	64	66	68	69	77	83	84	86	86	88	86	87	85	84	82	74	65
Sun	64	65	65	66	68	73	79	81	84	87	89	85	84	84	83	74	65

About this drive

On weekdays the 73-mile drive from Rancho Santa Margarita to Van Nuys (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 64 minutes and up to 118 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 85 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Sundays (90 minutes).

About 70 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 9 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 Van Nuys 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 Van Nuys?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 64 minutes then, versus up to 118 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 73-mile drive usually takes 64 to 118 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 85 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Santa Margarita to Van Nuys?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 118 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (28 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (19 miles) · SR-241 North in Orange County (10 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (3 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

Van Nuys 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	66	84	86	91	87	81	81	81	85	89	93	104	97	83	72	66	64
Tue	66	82	91	94	92	85	82	80	84	90	98	110	102	87	77	67	65
Wed	65	80	86	89	90	83	82	81	83	86	105	118	110	92	79	68	65
Thu	66	80	87	91	89	83	82	82	85	91	104	117	104	89	80	71	65
Fri	66	78	80	83	82	83	83	85	91	95	103	102	100	90	80	71	65
Sat	64	66	68	69	77	83	84	86	86	88	86	87	85	84	82	74	65
Sun	64	65	65	66	68	73	79	81	84	87	89	85	84	84	83	74	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	84	86	91	87	81	81	81	85	89	93	104	97	83	72	66	64
Tue	66	82	91	94	92	85	82	80	84	90	98	110	102	87	77	67	65
Wed	65	80	86	89	90	83	82	81	83	86	105	118	110	92	79	68	65
Thu	66	80	87	91	89	83	82	82	85	91	104	117	104	89	80	71	65
Fri	66	78	80	83	82	83	83	85	91	95	103	102	100	90	80	71	65
Sat	64	66	68	69	77	83	84	86	86	88	86	87	85	84	82	74	65
Sun	64	65	65	66	68	73	79	81	84	87	89	85	84	84	83	74	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	84	86	91	87	81	81	81	85	89	93	104	97	83	72	66	64
Tue	66	82	91	94	92	85	82	80	84	90	98	110	102	87	77	67	65
Wed	65	80	86	89	90	83	82	81	83	86	105	118	110	92	79	68	65
Thu	66	80	87	91	89	83	82	82	85	91	104	117	104	89	80	71	65
Fri	66	78	80	83	82	83	83	85	91	95	103	102	100	90	80	71	65
Sat	64	66	68	69	77	83	84	86	86	88	86	87	85	84	82	74	65
Sun	64	65	65	66	68	73	79	81	84	87	89	85	84	84	83	74	65