Best Time to Drive from Downey to Irvine

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 35 minutes via I-5 South, usually 37 at this time.

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.

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	46	52	42	35	34	34	35	36	39	40	44	36	33	31	30
Tue	29	35	56	63	48	39	36	35	35	37	41	47	51	43	37	32	30
Wed	29	34	54	59	47	39	36	34	35	36	39	44	51	41	35	32	30
Thu	29	34	54	56	47	41	37	37	38	38	44	50	52	43	36	33	30
Fri	29	33	41	42	37	36	37	38	39	42	49	48	51	46	38	33	30
Sat	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	34	35	38	39	39	41	36	32	31	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Downey to Irvine (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 63 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 22 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (11 to 28 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Downey (Downey Avenue) to central Irvine (Harvard Avenue) 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 Downey to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 63 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 29-mile drive usually takes 29 to 63 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Downey to Irvine?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 63 minutes.

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	46	52	42	35	34	34	35	36	39	40	44	36	33	31	30
Tue	29	35	56	63	48	39	36	35	35	37	41	47	51	43	37	32	30
Wed	29	34	54	59	47	39	36	34	35	36	39	44	51	41	35	32	30
Thu	29	34	54	56	47	41	37	37	38	38	44	50	52	43	36	33	30
Fri	29	33	41	42	37	36	37	38	39	42	49	48	51	46	38	33	30
Sat	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	34	35	38	39	39	41	36	32	31	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	33	46	52	42	35	34	34	35	36	39	40	44	36	33	31	30
Tue	29	35	56	63	48	39	36	35	35	37	41	47	51	43	37	32	30
Wed	29	34	54	59	47	39	36	34	35	36	39	44	51	41	35	32	30
Thu	29	34	54	56	47	41	37	37	38	38	44	50	52	43	36	33	30
Fri	29	33	41	42	37	36	37	38	39	42	49	48	51	46	38	33	30
Sat	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	34	35	38	39	39	41	36	32	31	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	33	46	52	42	35	34	34	35	36	39	40	44	36	33	31	30
Tue	29	35	56	63	48	39	36	35	35	37	41	47	51	43	37	32	30
Wed	29	34	54	59	47	39	36	34	35	36	39	44	51	41	35	32	30
Thu	29	34	54	56	47	41	37	37	38	38	44	50	52	43	36	33	30
Fri	29	33	41	42	37	36	37	38	39	42	49	48	51	46	38	33	30
Sat	30	31	31	31	32	32	33	34	35	38	39	39	41	36	32	31	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	30