Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Norwalk
Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 38 minutes via I-5 North, usually 41 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 26 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 37 | 39 | 42 | 43 | 41 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Tue | 26 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 33 | 36 | 42 | 39 | 42 | 38 | 31 | 28 | 27 |
| Wed | 26 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 35 | 38 | 42 | 46 | 51 | 49 | 37 | 31 | 27 |
| Thu | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 36 | 41 | 40 | 43 | 39 | 37 | 28 | 27 |
| Fri | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 35 | 38 | 44 | 44 | 50 | 38 | 30 | 29 | 27 |
| Sat | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
| Sun | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Irvine to Norwalk (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 52 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 32 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (35 minutes).
About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.5 miles surface streets (2 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Irvine to central Norwalk 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 Norwalk?
On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 52 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Norwalk?
The 30-mile drive usually takes 26 to 52 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 32 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Irvine to Norwalk?
Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 52 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 North in Orange County (17 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
More drives
Norwalk 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