Best Time to Drive from Whittier to Lake Forest

Right now (6:49 pm PDT): about 50 minutes via I-5 South and I-605 South, usually 40 at this time.

Only 38% 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 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	39	44	57	61	50	42	42	41	43	42	42	43	45	42	41	41	40
Tue	39	46	64	67	55	44	43	44	43	43	43	45	48	42	40	41	40
Wed	39	46	63	68	54	46	44	43	43	43	43	45	48	43	41	41	40
Thu	39	45	62	66	56	48	46	46	45	42	42	44	47	42	40	41	40
Fri	39	44	52	51	46	44	43	43	42	43	46	46	47	44	42	41	40
Sat	40	41	41	42	42	42	43	43	43	44	44	44	43	42	41	41	40
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	42	43	42	42	42	42	43	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from Whittier to Lake Forest (via I-5 South and I-605 South) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 70 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (11 to 18 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 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 Whittier to Lake Forest?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 70 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 41-mile drive usually takes 39 to 70 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Whittier to Lake Forest?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 70 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · I-605 South in Los Angeles (7 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 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	39	44	57	61	50	42	42	41	43	42	42	43	45	42	41	41	40
Tue	39	46	64	67	55	44	43	44	43	43	43	45	48	42	40	41	40
Wed	39	46	63	68	54	46	44	43	43	43	43	45	48	43	41	41	40
Thu	39	45	62	66	56	48	46	46	45	42	42	44	47	42	40	41	40
Fri	39	44	52	51	46	44	43	43	42	43	46	46	47	44	42	41	40
Sat	40	41	41	42	42	42	43	43	43	44	44	44	43	42	41	41	40
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	42	43	42	42	42	42	43	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	44	57	61	50	42	42	41	43	42	42	43	45	42	41	41	40
Tue	39	46	64	67	55	44	43	44	43	43	43	45	48	42	40	41	40
Wed	39	46	63	68	54	46	44	43	43	43	43	45	48	43	41	41	40
Thu	39	45	62	66	56	48	46	46	45	42	42	44	47	42	40	41	40
Fri	39	44	52	51	46	44	43	43	42	43	46	46	47	44	42	41	40
Sat	40	41	41	42	42	42	43	43	43	44	44	44	43	42	41	41	40
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	42	43	42	42	42	42	43	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	44	57	61	50	42	42	41	43	42	42	43	45	42	41	41	40
Tue	39	46	64	67	55	44	43	44	43	43	43	45	48	42	40	41	40
Wed	39	46	63	68	54	46	44	43	43	43	43	45	48	43	41	41	40
Thu	39	45	62	66	56	48	46	46	45	42	42	44	47	42	40	41	40
Fri	39	44	52	51	46	44	43	43	42	43	46	46	47	44	42	41	40
Sat	40	41	41	42	42	42	43	43	43	44	44	44	43	42	41	41	40
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	42	43	42	42	42	42	43	40