Traffic Predict
Is Orange County Traffic Getting Worse?
In 2026, weekday freeway congestion in Orange County was 5% better than in 2025 and 56% better than in 2016, measured as hours lost in stop-and-go traffic per 1,000 miles driven. Traffic volume per sensor was about the same as in 2025.
Year by year (weekdays)
| Year | Delay per 1,000 vehicle-miles | Change | Vehicles per sensor per day | Average speed | 5 pm speed | Sensors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 (partial) | 0.82 h | – | 78,699 | 60 mph | 52 mph | 1,121 |
| 2017 | 0.62 h | -25% | 79,697 | 60 mph | 53 mph | 1,211 |
| 2018 | 0.53 h | -14% | 78,674 | 60 mph | 54 mph | 1,260 |
| 2019 | 0.57 h | +7% | 79,103 | 60 mph | 53 mph | 1,262 |
| 2020 | 0.22 h | -61% | 67,661 | 62 mph | 58 mph | 1,274 |
| 2021 | 0.32 h | +43% | 72,589 | 61 mph | 55 mph | 1,304 |
| 2022 | 0.31 h | -3% | 74,146 | 61 mph | 55 mph | 1,308 |
| 2023 | 0.35 h | +15% | 76,155 | 60 mph | 54 mph | 1,367 |
| 2024 | 0.36 h | +1% | 76,503 | 60 mph | 54 mph | 1,336 |
| 2025 | 0.38 h | +7% | 76,985 | 60 mph | 54 mph | 1,336 |
| 2026 | 0.36 h | -5% | 76,762 | 61 mph | 55 mph | 1,338 |
Month by month
Freeway by freeway, 2016 vs 2026
| Freeway | 2016 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-5 North | 0.65 h | 0.16 h | -75% |
| I-5 South | 0.49 h | 0.19 h | -62% |
| I-15 North | 0.34 h | 0.96 h | +184% |
| I-15 South | 0.12 h | 1.09 h | +822% |
| I-105 East | 0.33 h | 0.00 h | -100% |
| I-105 West | 0.00 h | 0.00 h | – |
| I-405 North | 2.12 h | 0.58 h | -73% |
| I-405 South | 1.11 h | 0.16 h | -85% |
| I-605 North | 1.94 h | 1.52 h | -22% |
| I-605 South | 0.30 h | 0.50 h | +66% |
| SR-22 East | 0.93 h | 0.11 h | -88% |
| SR-22 West | 0.45 h | 0.22 h | -52% |
| SR-55 North | 1.86 h | 0.81 h | -56% |
| SR-55 South | 0.95 h | 0.11 h | -89% |
| SR-57 North | 0.85 h | 0.06 h | -92% |
| SR-57 South | 1.77 h | 0.32 h | -82% |
| SR-71 North | 0.02 h | 0.00 h | – |
| SR-71 South | 4.91 h | 4.79 h | -2% |
| SR-73 North | 0.02 h | 0.10 h | +312% |
| SR-73 South | 0.12 h | 0.04 h | -68% |
| SR-91 East | 0.80 h | 0.20 h | -75% |
| SR-91 West | 0.69 h | 0.62 h | -11% |
| SR-133 North | 0.00 h | 0.00 h | – |
| SR-133 South | 0.04 h | 0.00 h | -99% |
| SR-241 North | 0.12 h | 0.04 h | -69% |
| SR-241 South | 0.05 h | 0.00 h | -93% |
| SR-261 North | 0.00 h | 0.00 h | – |
| SR-261 South | 0.02 h | 0.00 h | -98% |
Weekday delay per 1,000 vehicle-miles on each freeway direction within Orange County. 2 freeway directions are left out because the sensors reporting changed too much between the two years to compare fairly.
How this is measured
Every hour, road sensors report how many vehicles passed and how fast they went. For each sensor we multiply the vehicles by the length of freeway it covers to get vehicle-miles, and count the extra time spent below 35 mph as delay. Dividing delay by miles driven gives a congestion measure that doesn't change just because sensors are added or retired. Only weekdays with at least 20 hours of data are used. Data: Caltrans PeMS.
See also: how rain slows Orange County traffic, by time of day and how hard it rains.