Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Los Angeles

Right now (4:05 am PDT): about 37 minutes via I-5 North, usually 37 at this time.

Only 5% 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 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	37	44	46	50	47	42	43	43	42	48	53	51	54	50	39	38	37
Tue	37	44	49	56	50	48	44	44	46	49	53	58	57	52	42	38	37
Wed	37	43	48	50	49	45	44	45	47	48	54	59	62	58	48	40	37
Thu	38	42	47	51	48	44	44	42	42	48	53	59	60	51	50	39	38
Fri	37	42	42	44	43	43	43	47	49	51	57	57	63	52	43	39	37
Sat	36	38	39	39	40	42	43	43	43	42	44	44	45	43	41	40	37
Sun	36	38	37	37	39	40	42	43	43	43	43	43	43	43	42	42	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from Irvine to Los Angeles (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 63 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 14 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 LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) 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 Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 63 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 39-mile drive usually takes 37 to 63 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 5 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 63 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (10 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

Los Angeles to Irvine (return trip) · 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 · 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	37	44	46	50	47	42	43	43	42	48	53	51	54	50	39	38	37
Tue	37	44	49	56	50	48	44	44	46	49	53	58	57	52	42	38	37
Wed	37	43	48	50	49	45	44	45	47	48	54	59	62	58	48	40	37
Thu	38	42	47	51	48	44	44	42	42	48	53	59	60	51	50	39	38
Fri	37	42	42	44	43	43	43	47	49	51	57	57	63	52	43	39	37
Sat	36	38	39	39	40	42	43	43	43	42	44	44	45	43	41	40	37
Sun	36	38	37	37	39	40	42	43	43	43	43	43	43	43	42	42	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	44	46	50	47	42	43	43	42	48	53	51	54	50	39	38	37
Tue	37	44	49	56	50	48	44	44	46	49	53	58	57	52	42	38	37
Wed	37	43	48	50	49	45	44	45	47	48	54	59	62	58	48	40	37
Thu	38	42	47	51	48	44	44	42	42	48	53	59	60	51	50	39	38
Fri	37	42	42	44	43	43	43	47	49	51	57	57	63	52	43	39	37
Sat	36	38	39	39	40	42	43	43	43	42	44	44	45	43	41	40	37
Sun	36	38	37	37	39	40	42	43	43	43	43	43	43	43	42	42	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	44	46	50	47	42	43	43	42	48	53	51	54	50	39	38	37
Tue	37	44	49	56	50	48	44	44	46	49	53	58	57	52	42	38	37
Wed	37	43	48	50	49	45	44	45	47	48	54	59	62	58	48	40	37
Thu	38	42	47	51	48	44	44	42	42	48	53	59	60	51	50	39	38
Fri	37	42	42	44	43	43	43	47	49	51	57	57	63	52	43	39	37
Sat	36	38	39	39	40	42	43	43	43	42	44	44	45	43	41	40	37
Sun	36	38	37	37	39	40	42	43	43	43	43	43	43	43	42	42	38