Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Lake Elsinore

Right now (6:18 pm PDT): about 65 minutes via SR-91 East and I-15 South, usually 58 at this time.

Only 41% 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 Santa Ana 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	45	47	49	52	51	49	49	49	50	53	62	67	67	58	50	48	45
Tue	45	48	51	53	51	49	50	49	51	54	65	72	73	63	53	49	46
Wed	44	49	51	52	52	51	50	51	51	56	65	73	71	63	54	50	46
Thu	45	49	52	53	52	52	51	51	54	59	70	80	76	65	55	50	46
Fri	44	47	49	50	51	50	51	57	64	72	84	83	74	63	54	51	46
Sat	45	46	48	47	49	52	56	56	57	58	58	58	54	52	50	49	45
Sun	44	45	45	46	47	47	48	48	48	48	48	48	46	46	47	49	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 50-mile drive from Santa Ana to Lake Elsinore (via SR-91 East and I-15 South) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 85 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 53 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (59 minutes).

About 47 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (3 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana to Lake Elsinore?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 85 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Ana to Lake Elsinore?

The 50-mile drive usually takes 44 to 85 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 53 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Lake Elsinore?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 85 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 East in Orange County (20 miles) · I-15 South in Orange County (14 miles) · I-15 South in Inland Empire (6 miles) · SR-57 North in Orange County (5 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (2 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	47	49	52	51	49	49	49	50	53	62	67	67	58	50	48	45
Tue	45	48	51	53	51	49	50	49	51	54	65	72	73	63	53	49	46
Wed	44	49	51	52	52	51	50	51	51	56	65	73	71	63	54	50	46
Thu	45	49	52	53	52	52	51	51	54	59	70	80	76	65	55	50	46
Fri	44	47	49	50	51	50	51	57	64	72	84	83	74	63	54	51	46
Sat	45	46	48	47	49	52	56	56	57	58	58	58	54	52	50	49	45
Sun	44	45	45	46	47	47	48	48	48	48	48	48	46	46	47	49	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	47	49	52	51	49	49	49	50	53	62	67	67	58	50	48	45
Tue	45	48	51	53	51	49	50	49	51	54	65	72	73	63	53	49	46
Wed	44	49	51	52	52	51	50	51	51	56	65	73	71	63	54	50	46
Thu	45	49	52	53	52	52	51	51	54	59	70	80	76	65	55	50	46
Fri	44	47	49	50	51	50	51	57	64	72	84	83	74	63	54	51	46
Sat	45	46	48	47	49	52	56	56	57	58	58	58	54	52	50	49	45
Sun	44	45	45	46	47	47	48	48	48	48	48	48	46	46	47	49	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	47	49	52	51	49	49	49	50	53	62	67	67	58	50	48	45
Tue	45	48	51	53	51	49	50	49	51	54	65	72	73	63	53	49	46
Wed	44	49	51	52	52	51	50	51	51	56	65	73	71	63	54	50	46
Thu	45	49	52	53	52	52	51	51	54	59	70	80	76	65	55	50	46
Fri	44	47	49	50	51	50	51	57	64	72	84	83	74	63	54	51	46
Sat	45	46	48	47	49	52	56	56	57	58	58	58	54	52	50	49	45
Sun	44	45	45	46	47	47	48	48	48	48	48	48	46	46	47	49	45