Best Time to Drive from Irvine to East Los Angeles

Right now (7:20 pm PST): about 40 minutes via I-5 North, usually 39 at this time.

Only 55% 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 East Los Angeles 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	34	37	40	42	41	39	40	40	40	46	51	53	54	52	40	37	35
Tue	35	37	42	46	43	41	40	41	44	47	53	58	60	57	42	38	36
Wed	34	37	40	43	43	40	40	42	45	47	54	60	63	60	47	39	36
Thu	35	36	41	42	41	40	41	41	42	46	54	59	61	56	48	39	36
Fri	35	37	38	40	40	41	41	43	47	50	57	60	61	55	42	39	35
Sat	35	36	36	37	38	38	39	40	40	41	43	43	42	41	40	38	36
Sun	35	36	35	35	37	37	38	39	39	40	40	39	39	40	40	39	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Irvine to East Los Angeles (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 63 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 39 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.9 miles surface streets (1 to 2 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Irvine to central East Los Angeles 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 East Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 63 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 34 to 63 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to East Los Angeles?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 63 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (6 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (5 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (4 miles) · I-405 South 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

East Los Angeles 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	34	37	40	42	41	39	40	40	40	46	51	53	54	52	40	37	35
Tue	35	37	42	46	43	41	40	41	44	47	53	58	60	57	42	38	36
Wed	34	37	40	43	43	40	40	42	45	47	54	60	63	60	47	39	36
Thu	35	36	41	42	41	40	41	41	42	46	54	59	61	56	48	39	36
Fri	35	37	38	40	40	41	41	43	47	50	57	60	61	55	42	39	35
Sat	35	36	36	37	38	38	39	40	40	41	43	43	42	41	40	38	36
Sun	35	36	35	35	37	37	38	39	39	40	40	39	39	40	40	39	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	37	40	42	41	39	40	40	40	46	51	53	54	52	40	37	35
Tue	35	37	42	46	43	41	40	41	44	47	53	58	60	57	42	38	36
Wed	34	37	40	43	43	40	40	42	45	47	54	60	63	60	47	39	36
Thu	35	36	41	42	41	40	41	41	42	46	54	59	61	56	48	39	36
Fri	35	37	38	40	40	41	41	43	47	50	57	60	61	55	42	39	35
Sat	35	36	36	37	38	38	39	40	40	41	43	43	42	41	40	38	36
Sun	35	36	35	35	37	37	38	39	39	40	40	39	39	40	40	39	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	37	40	42	41	39	40	40	40	46	51	53	54	52	40	37	35
Tue	35	37	42	46	43	41	40	41	44	47	53	58	60	57	42	38	36
Wed	34	37	40	43	43	40	40	42	45	47	54	60	63	60	47	39	36
Thu	35	36	41	42	41	40	41	41	42	46	54	59	61	56	48	39	36
Fri	35	37	38	40	40	41	41	43	47	50	57	60	61	55	42	39	35
Sat	35	36	36	37	38	38	39	40	40	41	43	43	42	41	40	38	36
Sun	35	36	35	35	37	37	38	39	39	40	40	39	39	40	40	39	36