Best Time to Drive from Whittier to Lake Elsinore

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 75 minutes via I-15 South and SR-60 East and SR-71 North, usually 60 at this time.

Only 40% 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 Whittier to Lake Elsinore 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	56	59	60	59	61	63	64	64	64	65	69	71	72	62	59	59	56
Tue	56	60	60	61	62	64	65	63	64	65	71	73	72	64	60	59	56
Wed	56	59	59	59	61	63	64	64	64	67	71	73	70	63	59	58	57
Thu	56	59	59	59	62	64	64	65	66	69	77	82	76	66	61	59	55
Fri	55	58	59	59	61	63	63	70	74	82	89	86	77	68	64	59	56
Sat	55	56	57	57	59	63	67	66	66	67	68	66	64	61	59	59	55
Sun	55	55	56	56	57	58	58	59	59	58	58	58	57	57	58	58	56

About this drive

On weekdays the 57-mile drive from Whittier to Lake Elsinore (via I-15 South and SR-60 East and SR-71 North) usually takes as little as 55 minutes and up to 90 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 9 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 66 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (68 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (12 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Whittier to central Lake Elsinore 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 Whittier to Lake Elsinore?

On weekdays, leave before 9 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 55 minutes then, versus up to 90 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Whittier to Lake Elsinore?

The 57-mile drive usually takes 55 to 90 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 66 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Whittier to Lake Elsinore?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 90 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-15 South in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-60 East in Los Angeles (12 miles) · SR-91 East in Orange County (6 miles) · I-15 South in Inland Empire (6 miles) · SR-71 North in Orange County (5 miles) · SR-71 North in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

Lake Elsinore to Whittier (return trip) · Whittier to Santa Monica · Whittier to Long Beach · Whittier to West Covina · Whittier to Burbank · Whittier to Santa Clarita · Whittier to Van Nuys · Whittier to Torrance · Whittier to LAX · Whittier to Culver City · Whittier to Thousand Oaks · Whittier to Oxnard

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	59	60	59	61	63	64	64	64	65	69	71	72	62	59	59	56
Tue	56	60	60	61	62	64	65	63	64	65	71	73	72	64	60	59	56
Wed	56	59	59	59	61	63	64	64	64	67	71	73	70	63	59	58	57
Thu	56	59	59	59	62	64	64	65	66	69	77	82	76	66	61	59	55
Fri	55	58	59	59	61	63	63	70	74	82	89	86	77	68	64	59	56
Sat	55	56	57	57	59	63	67	66	66	67	68	66	64	61	59	59	55
Sun	55	55	56	56	57	58	58	59	59	58	58	58	57	57	58	58	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	59	60	59	61	63	64	64	64	65	69	71	72	62	59	59	56
Tue	56	60	60	61	62	64	65	63	64	65	71	73	72	64	60	59	56
Wed	56	59	59	59	61	63	64	64	64	67	71	73	70	63	59	58	57
Thu	56	59	59	59	62	64	64	65	66	69	77	82	76	66	61	59	55
Fri	55	58	59	59	61	63	63	70	74	82	89	86	77	68	64	59	56
Sat	55	56	57	57	59	63	67	66	66	67	68	66	64	61	59	59	55
Sun	55	55	56	56	57	58	58	59	59	58	58	58	57	57	58	58	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	59	60	59	61	63	64	64	64	65	69	71	72	62	59	59	56
Tue	56	60	60	61	62	64	65	63	64	65	71	73	72	64	60	59	56
Wed	56	59	59	59	61	63	64	64	64	67	71	73	70	63	59	58	57
Thu	56	59	59	59	62	64	64	65	66	69	77	82	76	66	61	59	55
Fri	55	58	59	59	61	63	63	70	74	82	89	86	77	68	64	59	56
Sat	55	56	57	57	59	63	67	66	66	67	68	66	64	61	59	59	55
Sun	55	55	56	56	57	58	58	59	59	58	58	58	57	57	58	58	56