Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Long Beach

Right now (6:20 pm PST): about 49 minutes via I-405 North, usually 38 at this time.

Only 11% 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 Long Beach 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	30	30	32	34	34	32	33	33	33	33	34	36	38	38	32	32	30
Tue	29	30	33	38	39	34	33	33	33	34	35	37	41	42	34	33	31
Wed	29	30	33	39	38	36	35	34	35	36	35	38	41	42	39	37	31
Thu	29	31	33	38	37	34	33	34	34	34	36	39	41	41	35	33	31
Fri	30	30	31	33	33	32	32	32	33	33	35	38	39	36	34	33	30
Sat	30	29	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 24-mile drive from Irvine to Long Beach (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 42 minutes, when leaving around 6 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 7:30 pm on Saturdays (34 minutes).

About 16 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (15 to 23 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 downtown Long Beach (Pacific 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 Long Beach?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 42 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Long Beach?

The 24-mile drive usually takes 29 to 42 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Long Beach?

Leaving around 6 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 42 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles)

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

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	32	34	34	32	33	33	33	33	34	36	38	38	32	32	30
Tue	29	30	33	38	39	34	33	33	33	34	35	37	41	42	34	33	31
Wed	29	30	33	39	38	36	35	34	35	36	35	38	41	42	39	37	31
Thu	29	31	33	38	37	34	33	34	34	34	36	39	41	41	35	33	31
Fri	30	30	31	33	33	32	32	32	33	33	35	38	39	36	34	33	30
Sat	30	29	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	32	34	34	32	33	33	33	33	34	36	38	38	32	32	30
Tue	29	30	33	38	39	34	33	33	33	34	35	37	41	42	34	33	31
Wed	29	30	33	39	38	36	35	34	35	36	35	38	41	42	39	37	31
Thu	29	31	33	38	37	34	33	34	34	34	36	39	41	41	35	33	31
Fri	30	30	31	33	33	32	32	32	33	33	35	38	39	36	34	33	30
Sat	30	29	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	32	34	34	32	33	33	33	33	34	36	38	38	32	32	30
Tue	29	30	33	38	39	34	33	33	33	34	35	37	41	42	34	33	31
Wed	29	30	33	39	38	36	35	34	35	36	35	38	41	42	39	37	31
Thu	29	31	33	38	37	34	33	34	34	34	36	39	41	41	35	33	31
Fri	30	30	31	33	33	32	32	32	33	33	35	38	39	36	34	33	30
Sat	30	29	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	30