Best Time to Drive from Sylmar to Rancho Santa Margarita

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 71 minutes via I-5 South and I-210 East.

Only 36% 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 Sylmar to Rancho Santa Margarita 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	71	85	99	97	85	81	82	82	85	89	101	110	104	94	80	74	71
Tue	70	89	111	107	92	87	83	82	84	95	110	122	110	99	86	78	70
Wed	69	86	112	108	95	86	83	83	84	92	99	104	98	90	83	78	71
Thu	70	87	109	107	94	87	86	87	89	101	113	120	110	99	83	79	71
Fri	70	83	94	94	86	82	85	88	96	111	114	114	112	98	86	80	72
Sat	70	73	74	76	78	80	82	83	89	89	89	88	91	86	81	80	71
Sun	70	72	72	71	73	76	80	84	85	88	85	86	84	84	82	81	71

About this drive

On weekdays the 79-mile drive from Sylmar to Rancho Santa Margarita (via I-5 South and I-210 East) usually takes as little as 69 minutes and up to 122 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 88 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (91 minutes).

About 78 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.2 miles surface streets (1 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sylmar to central Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Sylmar to Rancho Santa Margarita?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 69 minutes then, versus up to 122 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 79-mile drive usually takes 69 to 122 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 88 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sylmar to Rancho Santa Margarita?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 122 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-210 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (8 miles) · SR-2 West in Los Angeles (8 miles) · SR-133 North in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

Rancho Santa Margarita to Sylmar (return trip) · Sylmar to Los Angeles · Sylmar to Long Beach · Sylmar to Anaheim · Sylmar to Riverside · Sylmar to Santa Ana · Sylmar to Irvine · Sylmar to San Bernardino · Sylmar to Fontana · Sylmar to Oxnard · Sylmar to Huntington Beach · Sylmar to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	85	99	97	85	81	82	82	85	89	101	110	104	94	80	74	71
Tue	70	89	111	107	92	87	83	82	84	95	110	122	110	99	86	78	70
Wed	69	86	112	108	95	86	83	83	84	92	99	104	98	90	83	78	71
Thu	70	87	109	107	94	87	86	87	89	101	113	120	110	99	83	79	71
Fri	70	83	94	94	86	82	85	88	96	111	114	114	112	98	86	80	72
Sat	70	73	74	76	78	80	82	83	89	89	89	88	91	86	81	80	71
Sun	70	72	72	71	73	76	80	84	85	88	85	86	84	84	82	81	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	85	99	97	85	81	82	82	85	89	101	110	104	94	80	74	71
Tue	70	89	111	107	92	87	83	82	84	95	110	122	110	99	86	78	70
Wed	69	86	112	108	95	86	83	83	84	92	99	104	98	90	83	78	71
Thu	70	87	109	107	94	87	86	87	89	101	113	120	110	99	83	79	71
Fri	70	83	94	94	86	82	85	88	96	111	114	114	112	98	86	80	72
Sat	70	73	74	76	78	80	82	83	89	89	89	88	91	86	81	80	71
Sun	70	72	72	71	73	76	80	84	85	88	85	86	84	84	82	81	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	85	99	97	85	81	82	82	85	89	101	110	104	94	80	74	71
Tue	70	89	111	107	92	87	83	82	84	95	110	122	110	99	86	78	70
Wed	69	86	112	108	95	86	83	83	84	92	99	104	98	90	83	78	71
Thu	70	87	109	107	94	87	86	87	89	101	113	120	110	99	83	79	71
Fri	70	83	94	94	86	82	85	88	96	111	114	114	112	98	86	80	72
Sat	70	73	74	76	78	80	82	83	89	89	89	88	91	86	81	80	71
Sun	70	72	72	71	73	76	80	84	85	88	85	86	84	84	82	81	71