Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Downey

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 34 minutes via I-5 North, usually 37 at this time.

Only 2% 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 Downey 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	30	36	39	39	34	35	35	35	42	49	46	48	44	33	31	29
Tue	29	31	40	48	44	41	36	36	38	44	51	58	56	51	39	31	30
Wed	29	31	37	42	42	38	35	37	40	42	48	56	60	54	42	33	29
Thu	30	31	38	40	40	36	35	35	37	45	51	58	59	48	45	32	30
Fri	29	30	33	34	34	35	37	42	45	49	56	56	64	50	38	31	29
Sat	29	30	30	30	30	31	32	33	35	36	39	40	42	36	32	31	30
Sun	29	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	32	29

About this drive

On weekdays the 28-mile drive from Irvine to Downey (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 64 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (10 to 30 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 Downey (Downey 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 Irvine to Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 64 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 28-mile drive usually takes 29 to 64 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Downey?

Leaving around 5 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 64 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (19 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

More drives

Downey 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	29	30	36	39	39	34	35	35	35	42	49	46	48	44	33	31	29
Tue	29	31	40	48	44	41	36	36	38	44	51	58	56	51	39	31	30
Wed	29	31	37	42	42	38	35	37	40	42	48	56	60	54	42	33	29
Thu	30	31	38	40	40	36	35	35	37	45	51	58	59	48	45	32	30
Fri	29	30	33	34	34	35	37	42	45	49	56	56	64	50	38	31	29
Sat	29	30	30	30	30	31	32	33	35	36	39	40	42	36	32	31	30
Sun	29	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	32	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	36	39	39	34	35	35	35	42	49	46	48	44	33	31	29
Tue	29	31	40	48	44	41	36	36	38	44	51	58	56	51	39	31	30
Wed	29	31	37	42	42	38	35	37	40	42	48	56	60	54	42	33	29
Thu	30	31	38	40	40	36	35	35	37	45	51	58	59	48	45	32	30
Fri	29	30	33	34	34	35	37	42	45	49	56	56	64	50	38	31	29
Sat	29	30	30	30	30	31	32	33	35	36	39	40	42	36	32	31	30
Sun	29	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	32	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	36	39	39	34	35	35	35	42	49	46	48	44	33	31	29
Tue	29	31	40	48	44	41	36	36	38	44	51	58	56	51	39	31	30
Wed	29	31	37	42	42	38	35	37	40	42	48	56	60	54	42	33	29
Thu	30	31	38	40	40	36	35	35	37	45	51	58	59	48	45	32	30
Fri	29	30	33	34	34	35	37	42	45	49	56	56	64	50	38	31	29
Sat	29	30	30	30	30	31	32	33	35	36	39	40	42	36	32	31	30
Sun	29	30	30	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	32	29