Best Time to Drive from East Los Angeles to Irvine

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 44 minutes via I-5 South, usually 49 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 East Los Angeles 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	32	39	51	52	41	36	39	39	42	39	50	59	61	52	44	35	33
Tue	32	39	59	63	44	39	38	39	40	44	53	67	68	52	48	41	33
Wed	31	39	58	63	47	41	38	40	39	45	49	53	60	48	45	37	33
Thu	32	37	55	60	48	41	44	43	48	41	54	59	62	58	47	36	33
Fri	32	37	49	50	44	39	39	41	43	51	58	59	58	57	45	40	33
Sat	32	33	34	34	37	37	39	41	41	45	48	48	42	40	37	37	35
Sun	32	32	32	33	34	36	36	39	40	41	42	40	40	39	38	38	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from East Los Angeles to Irvine (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 72 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 41 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (48 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 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 East Los Angeles 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 East Los Angeles to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 72 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from East Los Angeles to Irvine?

The 36-mile drive usually takes 31 to 72 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 41 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from East Los Angeles to Irvine?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 72 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (18 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (10 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (4 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

Irvine to East Los Angeles (return trip) · East Los Angeles to Long Beach · East Los Angeles to Anaheim · East Los Angeles to Riverside · East Los Angeles to Santa Ana

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	39	51	52	41	36	39	39	42	39	50	59	61	52	44	35	33
Tue	32	39	59	63	44	39	38	39	40	44	53	67	68	52	48	41	33
Wed	31	39	58	63	47	41	38	40	39	45	49	53	60	48	45	37	33
Thu	32	37	55	60	48	41	44	43	48	41	54	59	62	58	47	36	33
Fri	32	37	49	50	44	39	39	41	43	51	58	59	58	57	45	40	33
Sat	32	33	34	34	37	37	39	41	41	45	48	48	42	40	37	37	35
Sun	32	32	32	33	34	36	36	39	40	41	42	40	40	39	38	38	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	39	51	52	41	36	39	39	42	39	50	59	61	52	44	35	33
Tue	32	39	59	63	44	39	38	39	40	44	53	67	68	52	48	41	33
Wed	31	39	58	63	47	41	38	40	39	45	49	53	60	48	45	37	33
Thu	32	37	55	60	48	41	44	43	48	41	54	59	62	58	47	36	33
Fri	32	37	49	50	44	39	39	41	43	51	58	59	58	57	45	40	33
Sat	32	33	34	34	37	37	39	41	41	45	48	48	42	40	37	37	35
Sun	32	32	32	33	34	36	36	39	40	41	42	40	40	39	38	38	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	39	51	52	41	36	39	39	42	39	50	59	61	52	44	35	33
Tue	32	39	59	63	44	39	38	39	40	44	53	67	68	52	48	41	33
Wed	31	39	58	63	47	41	38	40	39	45	49	53	60	48	45	37	33
Thu	32	37	55	60	48	41	44	43	48	41	54	59	62	58	47	36	33
Fri	32	37	49	50	44	39	39	41	43	51	58	59	58	57	45	40	33
Sat	32	33	34	34	37	37	39	41	41	45	48	48	42	40	37	37	35
Sun	32	32	32	33	34	36	36	39	40	41	42	40	40	39	38	38	34