Best Time to Drive from Carson to Irvine

Right now (8:20 pm PST): about 28 minutes via I-405 South, usually 38 at this time.

Only 6% 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 Carson to Irvine 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	27	32	31	27	34	34	34	39	40	38	37	37	39	38	40	40	29
Tue	27	36	33	30	35	40	40	42	40	39	39	40	45	45	43	42	31
Wed	28	35	34	29	32	43	42	44	42	36	36	37	40	40	38	40	30
Thu	27	34	34	29	32	42	42	42	41	37	34	35	37	37	38	38	30
Fri	27	33	34	30	37	38	37	36	35	35	35	34	33	38	38	40	29
Sat	27	28	29	29	30	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	30	31	30	31	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	28

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from Carson to Irvine (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 45 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6 pm on Saturdays (31 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.9 miles surface streets (2 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carson to central Irvine 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 Carson to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 45 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Carson to Irvine?

The 31-mile drive usually takes 27 to 45 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carson to Irvine?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 45 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Orange County (20 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (8 miles)

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

More drives

Irvine to Carson (return trip) · Carson to Los Angeles · Carson to Long Beach · Carson to Anaheim · Carson to Riverside · Carson to Santa Ana · Carson to Buena Park · Carson to San Bernardino · Carson to Fontana · Carson to Oxnard · Carson to Moreno Valley · Carson to Huntington Beach

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	32	31	27	34	34	34	39	40	38	37	37	39	38	40	40	29
Tue	27	36	33	30	35	40	40	42	40	39	39	40	45	45	43	42	31
Wed	28	35	34	29	32	43	42	44	42	36	36	37	40	40	38	40	30
Thu	27	34	34	29	32	42	42	42	41	37	34	35	37	37	38	38	30
Fri	27	33	34	30	37	38	37	36	35	35	35	34	33	38	38	40	29
Sat	27	28	29	29	30	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	30	31	30	31	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	32	31	27	34	34	34	39	40	38	37	37	39	38	40	40	29
Tue	27	36	33	30	35	40	40	42	40	39	39	40	45	45	43	42	31
Wed	28	35	34	29	32	43	42	44	42	36	36	37	40	40	38	40	30
Thu	27	34	34	29	32	42	42	42	41	37	34	35	37	37	38	38	30
Fri	27	33	34	30	37	38	37	36	35	35	35	34	33	38	38	40	29
Sat	27	28	29	29	30	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	30	31	30	31	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	32	31	27	34	34	34	39	40	38	37	37	39	38	40	40	29
Tue	27	36	33	30	35	40	40	42	40	39	39	40	45	45	43	42	31
Wed	28	35	34	29	32	43	42	44	42	36	36	37	40	40	38	40	30
Thu	27	34	34	29	32	42	42	42	41	37	34	35	37	37	38	38	30
Fri	27	33	34	30	37	38	37	36	35	35	35	34	33	38	38	40	29
Sat	27	28	29	29	30	29	29	30	30	30	30	29	30	31	30	31	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	29	29	29	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	28