Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Carson

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 39 minutes via I-405 North, usually 35 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 Irvine to Carson 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	33	33	34	36	37	35	35	36	38	38	41	43	47	42	36	35	33
Tue	32	33	34	37	38	36	37	37	37	39	42	49	59	53	37	35	33
Wed	32	33	34	36	37	37	38	39	38	39	43	52	51	47	38	35	33
Thu	33	33	34	37	37	37	38	37	39	40	40	48	47	47	40	35	33
Fri	33	34	34	35	37	37	37	37	38	39	44	45	48	42	39	36	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	38	39	38	38	37	38	37	36	35	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	38	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	36	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from Irvine to Carson (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 59 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (39 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.7 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Irvine to central Carson 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 Carson?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 59 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 38-mile drive usually takes 32 to 59 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Carson?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 59 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (2 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (1.7 miles)

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

More drives

Carson 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	33	33	34	36	37	35	35	36	38	38	41	43	47	42	36	35	33
Tue	32	33	34	37	38	36	37	37	37	39	42	49	59	53	37	35	33
Wed	32	33	34	36	37	37	38	39	38	39	43	52	51	47	38	35	33
Thu	33	33	34	37	37	37	38	37	39	40	40	48	47	47	40	35	33
Fri	33	34	34	35	37	37	37	37	38	39	44	45	48	42	39	36	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	38	39	38	38	37	38	37	36	35	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	38	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	36	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	33	34	36	37	35	35	36	38	38	41	43	47	42	36	35	33
Tue	32	33	34	37	38	36	37	37	37	39	42	49	59	53	37	35	33
Wed	32	33	34	36	37	37	38	39	38	39	43	52	51	47	38	35	33
Thu	33	33	34	37	37	37	38	37	39	40	40	48	47	47	40	35	33
Fri	33	34	34	35	37	37	37	37	38	39	44	45	48	42	39	36	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	38	39	38	38	37	38	37	36	35	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	38	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	36	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	33	34	36	37	35	35	36	38	38	41	43	47	42	36	35	33
Tue	32	33	34	37	38	36	37	37	37	39	42	49	59	53	37	35	33
Wed	32	33	34	36	37	37	38	39	38	39	43	52	51	47	38	35	33
Thu	33	33	34	37	37	37	38	37	39	40	40	48	47	47	40	35	33
Fri	33	34	34	35	37	37	37	37	38	39	44	45	48	42	39	36	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	38	39	38	38	37	38	37	36	35	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	38	37	37	37	37	37	37	36	36	33