Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Lake Forest

Right now (7:49 pm PDT): about 74 minutes via I-405 South, usually 67 at this time.

Only 11% 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 Monica to Lake Forest 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	55	57	59	63	62	59	60	63	74	84	105	111	107	93	64	58	55
Tue	55	57	59	72	71	62	63	72	133	172	203	199	163	119	79	63	55
Wed	55	57	59	73	70	62	63	72	124	191	218	206	168	127	90	67	56
Thu	55	58	60	70	68	62	64	86	114	189	173	139	119	100	90	76	56
Fri	55	57	59	69	62	61	66	112	146	147	118	91	89	90	76	69	58
Sat	56	56	55	56	57	60	65	76	75	82	82	75	71	62	60	60	56
Sun	55	55	55	56	57	58	59	60	66	66	64	62	60	60	60	60	56

About this drive

On weekdays the 61-mile drive from Santa Monica to Lake Forest (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 55 minutes and up to 219 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 104 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (91 minutes).

About 57 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Santa Monica 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 Monica to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 55 minutes then, versus up to 219 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Lake Forest?

The 61-mile drive usually takes 55 to 219 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 104 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 219 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (26 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Lake Forest to Santa Monica (return trip) · Santa Monica to Los Angeles · Santa Monica to Pasadena · Santa Monica to Long Beach · Santa Monica to West Covina · Santa Monica to Burbank · Santa Monica to Glendale · Santa Monica to Santa Clarita · Santa Monica to Van Nuys · Santa Monica to Torrance · Santa Monica to Culver City · Santa Monica to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	57	59	63	62	59	60	63	74	84	105	111	107	93	64	58	55
Tue	55	57	59	72	71	62	63	72	133	172	203	199	163	119	79	63	55
Wed	55	57	59	73	70	62	63	72	124	191	218	206	168	127	90	67	56
Thu	55	58	60	70	68	62	64	86	114	189	173	139	119	100	90	76	56
Fri	55	57	59	69	62	61	66	112	146	147	118	91	89	90	76	69	58
Sat	56	56	55	56	57	60	65	76	75	82	82	75	71	62	60	60	56
Sun	55	55	55	56	57	58	59	60	66	66	64	62	60	60	60	60	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	57	59	63	62	59	60	63	74	84	105	111	107	93	64	58	55
Tue	55	57	59	72	71	62	63	72	133	172	203	199	163	119	79	63	55
Wed	55	57	59	73	70	62	63	72	124	191	218	206	168	127	90	67	56
Thu	55	58	60	70	68	62	64	86	114	189	173	139	119	100	90	76	56
Fri	55	57	59	69	62	61	66	112	146	147	118	91	89	90	76	69	58
Sat	56	56	55	56	57	60	65	76	75	82	82	75	71	62	60	60	56
Sun	55	55	55	56	57	58	59	60	66	66	64	62	60	60	60	60	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	57	59	63	62	59	60	63	74	84	105	111	107	93	64	58	55
Tue	55	57	59	72	71	62	63	72	133	172	203	199	163	119	79	63	55
Wed	55	57	59	73	70	62	63	72	124	191	218	206	168	127	90	67	56
Thu	55	58	60	70	68	62	64	86	114	189	173	139	119	100	90	76	56
Fri	55	57	59	69	62	61	66	112	146	147	118	91	89	90	76	69	58
Sat	56	56	55	56	57	60	65	76	75	82	82	75	71	62	60	60	56
Sun	55	55	55	56	57	58	59	60	66	66	64	62	60	60	60	60	56