Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to Lake Forest

Right now (6:48 pm PDT): about 72 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 66 at this time.

Only 28% 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	60	70	81	80	69	66	68	69	72	73	87	100	93	82	69	62	59
Tue	58	72	88	86	71	67	68	69	69	76	95	107	100	86	74	66	58
Wed	57	70	93	87	74	67	68	69	70	78	87	96	93	83	74	66	58
Thu	57	69	88	87	73	71	73	73	76	80	98	111	101	88	71	65	60
Fri	58	67	80	78	72	69	69	71	77	89	103	100	100	88	73	67	60
Sat	59	60	61	64	67	67	71	72	75	77	81	78	77	69	66	67	60
Sun	58	58	58	60	62	65	66	70	71	73	72	72	70	68	68	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 111 minutes, when leaving around 4 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 (81 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 111 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 111 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 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 111 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	60	70	81	80	69	66	68	69	72	73	87	100	93	82	69	62	59
Tue	58	72	88	86	71	67	68	69	69	76	95	107	100	86	74	66	58
Wed	57	70	93	87	74	67	68	69	70	78	87	96	93	83	74	66	58
Thu	57	69	88	87	73	71	73	73	76	80	98	111	101	88	71	65	60
Fri	58	67	80	78	72	69	69	71	77	89	103	100	100	88	73	67	60
Sat	59	60	61	64	67	67	71	72	75	77	81	78	77	69	66	67	60
Sun	58	58	58	60	62	65	66	70	71	73	72	72	70	68	68	69	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	60	70	81	80	69	66	68	69	72	73	87	100	93	82	69	62	59
Tue	58	72	88	86	71	67	68	69	69	76	95	107	100	86	74	66	58
Wed	57	70	93	87	74	67	68	69	70	78	87	96	93	83	74	66	58
Thu	57	69	88	87	73	71	73	73	76	80	98	111	101	88	71	65	60
Fri	58	67	80	78	72	69	69	71	77	89	103	100	100	88	73	67	60
Sat	59	60	61	64	67	67	71	72	75	77	81	78	77	69	66	67	60
Sun	58	58	58	60	62	65	66	70	71	73	72	72	70	68	68	69	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	60	70	81	80	69	66	68	69	72	73	87	100	93	82	69	62	59
Tue	58	72	88	86	71	67	68	69	69	76	95	107	100	86	74	66	58
Wed	57	70	93	87	74	67	68	69	70	78	87	96	93	83	74	66	58
Thu	57	69	88	87	73	71	73	73	76	80	98	111	101	88	71	65	60
Fri	58	67	80	78	72	69	69	71	77	89	103	100	100	88	73	67	60
Sat	59	60	61	64	67	67	71	72	75	77	81	78	77	69	66	67	60
Sun	58	58	58	60	62	65	66	70	71	73	72	72	70	68	68	69	61