Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Arcadia

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 60 minutes via I-5 North and I-605 North, usually 63 at this time.

Only 14% 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 Irvine to Arcadia 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	44	52	63	67	61	57	57	56	58	67	77	81	80	71	56	48	45
Tue	44	55	65	70	65	60	57	57	60	73	82	86	90	79	63	50	46
Wed	44	55	64	67	63	58	57	58	61	68	81	85	90	79	62	51	46
Thu	44	54	64	67	62	60	58	58	64	72	78	86	87	75	63	51	46
Fri	45	51	58	60	59	58	59	62	69	74	83	81	81	74	60	51	46
Sat	45	47	47	48	49	51	54	55	57	58	61	61	59	56	52	50	47
Sun	45	46	46	46	47	48	50	53	54	55	54	53	52	51	51	50	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 48-mile drive from Irvine to Arcadia (via I-5 North and I-605 North) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 90 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm 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 62 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (63 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 18 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Irvine (Harvard Avenue) to central Arcadia (West Huntington Drive) 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 Irvine to Arcadia?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 90 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 48-mile drive usually takes 44 to 90 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 62 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Arcadia?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 90 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (21 miles) · I-605 North in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-210 West in Los Angeles (4 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (2 miles)

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

Irvine to Arcadia over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Arcadia to Irvine (return trip) · Irvine to Los Angeles · Irvine to Santa Monica · Irvine to Pasadena · Irvine to Long Beach · Irvine to West Covina · Irvine to Burbank · Irvine to Glendale · Irvine to Santa Clarita · Irvine to Van Nuys · Irvine to Torrance · Irvine to LAX

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	52	63	67	61	57	57	56	58	67	77	81	80	71	56	48	45
Tue	44	55	65	70	65	60	57	57	60	73	82	86	90	79	63	50	46
Wed	44	55	64	67	63	58	57	58	61	68	81	85	90	79	62	51	46
Thu	44	54	64	67	62	60	58	58	64	72	78	86	87	75	63	51	46
Fri	45	51	58	60	59	58	59	62	69	74	83	81	81	74	60	51	46
Sat	45	47	47	48	49	51	54	55	57	58	61	61	59	56	52	50	47
Sun	45	46	46	46	47	48	50	53	54	55	54	53	52	51	51	50	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	52	63	67	61	57	57	56	58	67	77	81	80	71	56	48	45
Tue	44	55	65	70	65	60	57	57	60	73	82	86	90	79	63	50	46
Wed	44	55	64	67	63	58	57	58	61	68	81	85	90	79	62	51	46
Thu	44	54	64	67	62	60	58	58	64	72	78	86	87	75	63	51	46
Fri	45	51	58	60	59	58	59	62	69	74	83	81	81	74	60	51	46
Sat	45	47	47	48	49	51	54	55	57	58	61	61	59	56	52	50	47
Sun	45	46	46	46	47	48	50	53	54	55	54	53	52	51	51	50	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	52	63	67	61	57	57	56	58	67	77	81	80	71	56	48	45
Tue	44	55	65	70	65	60	57	57	60	73	82	86	90	79	63	50	46
Wed	44	55	64	67	63	58	57	58	61	68	81	85	90	79	62	51	46
Thu	44	54	64	67	62	60	58	58	64	72	78	86	87	75	63	51	46
Fri	45	51	58	60	59	58	59	62	69	74	83	81	81	74	60	51	46
Sat	45	47	47	48	49	51	54	55	57	58	61	61	59	56	52	50	47
Sun	45	46	46	46	47	48	50	53	54	55	54	53	52	51	51	50	46