Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Lake Forest
Right now (6:36 am PST): about 22 minutes via I-5 South, usually 23 at this time.
Only 27% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 18 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
| Tue | 18 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
| Wed | 18 | 19 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
| Thu | 18 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
| Fri | 18 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
| Sat | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
| Sun | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 17-mile drive from Santa Ana to Lake Forest (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 18 minutes and up to 26 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 19 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (21 minutes).
About 10 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 13 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 Forest 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 Forest?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 18 minutes then, versus up to 26 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Santa Ana to Lake Forest?
The 17-mile drive usually takes 18 to 26 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 19 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Lake Forest?
Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 26 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 South in Orange County (9 miles) · SR-133 North in Orange County (1.5 miles)
Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow
More drives
Lake Forest 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