Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to Lake Forest

Right now (9:35 pm PST): about 59 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 59 at this time.

Only 3% 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 Van Nuys 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	59	70	82	80	68	66	68	69	72	73	87	100	94	84	69	63	59
Tue	58	71	90	87	72	67	68	68	69	77	94	108	102	88	77	65	58
Wed	57	70	92	87	74	67	68	67	69	74	81	92	88	78	72	65	58
Thu	57	69	88	86	72	70	72	72	75	80	96	108	102	89	72	65	60
Fri	58	67	79	77	70	68	68	71	76	88	104	100	102	88	74	68	60
Sat	59	60	61	63	66	67	70	71	74	76	79	76	78	71	67	67	61
Sun	58	59	58	60	62	65	67	71	71	73	72	71	71	69	70	69	61

About this drive

On weekdays the 63-mile drive from Van Nuys to Lake Forest (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 57 minutes and up to 108 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 72 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (79 minutes).

About 55 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (10 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Van Nuys 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 Van Nuys to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 57 minutes then, versus up to 108 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Van Nuys to Lake Forest?

The 63-mile drive usually takes 57 to 108 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 72 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Van Nuys to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 108 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · SR-170 South in Los Angeles (3 miles) · SR-133 North in Orange County (1.5 miles)

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

More drives

Lake Forest to Van Nuys (return trip) · Van Nuys to Los Angeles · Van Nuys to Santa Monica · Van Nuys to Pasadena · Van Nuys to Long Beach · Van Nuys to West Covina · Van Nuys to Glendale · Van Nuys to Santa Clarita · Van Nuys to Torrance · Van Nuys to LAX · Van Nuys to Culver City · Van Nuys 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	59	70	82	80	68	66	68	69	72	73	87	100	94	84	69	63	59
Tue	58	71	90	87	72	67	68	68	69	77	94	108	102	88	77	65	58
Wed	57	70	92	87	74	67	68	67	69	74	81	92	88	78	72	65	58
Thu	57	69	88	86	72	70	72	72	75	80	96	108	102	89	72	65	60
Fri	58	67	79	77	70	68	68	71	76	88	104	100	102	88	74	68	60
Sat	59	60	61	63	66	67	70	71	74	76	79	76	78	71	67	67	61
Sun	58	59	58	60	62	65	67	71	71	73	72	71	71	69	70	69	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	70	82	80	68	66	68	69	72	73	87	100	94	84	69	63	59
Tue	58	71	90	87	72	67	68	68	69	77	94	108	102	88	77	65	58
Wed	57	70	92	87	74	67	68	67	69	74	81	92	88	78	72	65	58
Thu	57	69	88	86	72	70	72	72	75	80	96	108	102	89	72	65	60
Fri	58	67	79	77	70	68	68	71	76	88	104	100	102	88	74	68	60
Sat	59	60	61	63	66	67	70	71	74	76	79	76	78	71	67	67	61
Sun	58	59	58	60	62	65	67	71	71	73	72	71	71	69	70	69	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	70	82	80	68	66	68	69	72	73	87	100	94	84	69	63	59
Tue	58	71	90	87	72	67	68	68	69	77	94	108	102	88	77	65	58
Wed	57	70	92	87	74	67	68	67	69	74	81	92	88	78	72	65	58
Thu	57	69	88	86	72	70	72	72	75	80	96	108	102	89	72	65	60
Fri	58	67	79	77	70	68	68	71	76	88	104	100	102	88	74	68	60
Sat	59	60	61	63	66	67	70	71	74	76	79	76	78	71	67	67	61
Sun	58	59	58	60	62	65	67	71	71	73	72	71	71	69	70	69	61