Best Time to Drive from Downey to Irvine

Right now (10:19 pm PDT): about 30 minutes via I-5 South.

None 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.

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Downey to Irvine (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 58 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (36 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Irvine to Downey

Freeway, about 22 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 7 miles: 11 to 23 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from central Downey (Downey Avenue) to central Irvine (Harvard Avenue) along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Downey 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	29	33	42	47	39	33	33	33	34	35	38	40	43	35	32	31	30
Tue	30	34	50	55	43	36	35	34	34	35	39	44	48	39	33	31	30
Wed	29	34	50	55	45	37	35	34	35	37	40	44	47	40	33	31	30
Thu	30	34	49	52	43	37	36	35	36	37	41	45	46	39	33	31	30
Fri	30	33	40	40	37	35	35	35	36	40	44	44	44	38	33	31	30
Sat	30	31	31	31	32	32	34	33	34	35	36	36	36	34	31	31	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	31	32	30

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 Downey to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 58 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 29-mile drive usually takes 29 to 58 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Downey to Irvine?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 58 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (22 miles)

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

More drives

Irvine to Downey (return trip) · Downey to Los Angeles · Downey to Santa Monica · Downey to Long Beach · Downey to West Covina · Downey to Burbank · Downey to Glendale · Downey to Santa Clarita · Downey to Van Nuys · Downey to LAX · Downey to Hollywood · Downey to Culver City

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	33	42	47	39	33	33	33	34	35	38	40	43	35	32	31	30
Tue	30	34	50	55	43	36	35	34	34	35	39	44	48	39	33	31	30
Wed	29	34	50	55	45	37	35	34	35	37	40	44	47	40	33	31	30
Thu	30	34	49	52	43	37	36	35	36	37	41	45	46	39	33	31	30
Fri	30	33	40	40	37	35	35	35	36	40	44	44	44	38	33	31	30
Sat	30	31	31	31	32	32	34	33	34	35	36	36	36	34	31	31	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	31	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	33	42	47	39	33	33	33	34	35	38	40	43	35	32	31	30
Tue	30	34	50	55	43	36	35	34	34	35	39	44	48	39	33	31	30
Wed	29	34	50	55	45	37	35	34	35	37	40	44	47	40	33	31	30
Thu	30	34	49	52	43	37	36	35	36	37	41	45	46	39	33	31	30
Fri	30	33	40	40	37	35	35	35	36	40	44	44	44	38	33	31	30
Sat	30	31	31	31	32	32	34	33	34	35	36	36	36	34	31	31	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	31	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	33	42	47	39	33	33	33	34	35	38	40	43	35	32	31	30
Tue	30	34	50	55	43	36	35	34	34	35	39	44	48	39	33	31	30
Wed	29	34	50	55	45	37	35	34	35	37	40	44	47	40	33	31	30
Thu	30	34	49	52	43	37	36	35	36	37	41	45	46	39	33	31	30
Fri	30	33	40	40	37	35	35	35	36	40	44	44	44	38	33	31	30
Sat	30	31	31	31	32	32	34	33	34	35	36	36	36	34	31	31	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	31	32	30