Best Time to Drive from Riverside to Lake Elsinore

Right now (5:17 pm PDT): about 53 minutes via I-15 South and SR-91 West, usually 47 at this time.

Only 63% 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 Riverside to Lake Elsinore 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	32	33	36	38	36	34	37	34	34	36	42	45	44	39	33	32	32
Tue	32	33	38	42	38	36	35	35	35	37	44	49	48	44	34	32	31
Wed	33	35	38	42	39	35	35	35	36	39	44	49	48	44	35	32	31
Thu	32	33	36	41	39	37	36	36	37	42	47	55	53	45	37	32	31
Fri	32	33	34	38	37	36	36	41	48	51	55	57	52	44	38	33	31
Sat	30	31	31	31	33	36	44	44	43	44	44	44	39	37	35	32	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	30	31	33	33	33	33	35	32	31	31	32	32	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Riverside to Lake Elsinore (via I-15 South and SR-91 West) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 57 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (44 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (2 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Riverside to central Lake Elsinore 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 Riverside to Lake Elsinore?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 57 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Riverside to Lake Elsinore?

The 33-mile drive usually takes 31 to 57 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Riverside to Lake Elsinore?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 57 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-15 South in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-91 West in Orange County (11 miles) · I-15 South in Inland Empire (6 miles)

Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

Lake Elsinore to Riverside (return trip) · Riverside to Los Angeles · Riverside to Santa Monica · Riverside to Pasadena · Riverside to Long Beach · Riverside to West Covina · Riverside to Burbank · Riverside to Glendale · Riverside to Van Nuys · Riverside to Torrance · Riverside to LAX · Riverside to Hollywood

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	36	38	36	34	37	34	34	36	42	45	44	39	33	32	32
Tue	32	33	38	42	38	36	35	35	35	37	44	49	48	44	34	32	31
Wed	33	35	38	42	39	35	35	35	36	39	44	49	48	44	35	32	31
Thu	32	33	36	41	39	37	36	36	37	42	47	55	53	45	37	32	31
Fri	32	33	34	38	37	36	36	41	48	51	55	57	52	44	38	33	31
Sat	30	31	31	31	33	36	44	44	43	44	44	44	39	37	35	32	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	30	31	33	33	33	33	35	32	31	31	32	32	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	36	38	36	34	37	34	34	36	42	45	44	39	33	32	32
Tue	32	33	38	42	38	36	35	35	35	37	44	49	48	44	34	32	31
Wed	33	35	38	42	39	35	35	35	36	39	44	49	48	44	35	32	31
Thu	32	33	36	41	39	37	36	36	37	42	47	55	53	45	37	32	31
Fri	32	33	34	38	37	36	36	41	48	51	55	57	52	44	38	33	31
Sat	30	31	31	31	33	36	44	44	43	44	44	44	39	37	35	32	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	30	31	33	33	33	33	35	32	31	31	32	32	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	36	38	36	34	37	34	34	36	42	45	44	39	33	32	32
Tue	32	33	38	42	38	36	35	35	35	37	44	49	48	44	34	32	31
Wed	33	35	38	42	39	35	35	35	36	39	44	49	48	44	35	32	31
Thu	32	33	36	41	39	37	36	36	37	42	47	55	53	45	37	32	31
Fri	32	33	34	38	37	36	36	41	48	51	55	57	52	44	38	33	31
Sat	30	31	31	31	33	36	44	44	43	44	44	44	39	37	35	32	31
Sun	30	31	31	31	30	31	33	33	33	33	35	32	31	31	32	32	31