Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Santa Clarita

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 87 minutes via I-5 North, usually 92 at this time.

Only 8% 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 Santa Clarita 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	68	88	95	100	100	92	91	91	92	99	107	109	100	92	76	71	68
Tue	67	87	95	107	105	99	92	90	93	99	111	119	106	97	82	72	68
Wed	67	85	92	97	104	96	92	89	93	96	111	120	111	104	89	75	69
Thu	69	84	93	98	99	91	92	89	90	99	113	121	109	96	94	77	69
Fri	68	84	88	94	94	92	89	98	99	101	112	107	109	97	87	78	69
Sat	67	69	70	72	84	90	94	91	94	94	95	95	91	94	91	79	70
Sun	67	68	68	68	70	77	85	89	92	93	99	90	91	92	89	81	70

About this drive

On weekdays the 71-mile drive from Irvine to Santa Clarita (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 67 minutes and up to 121 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 93 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Sundays (99 minutes).

About 65 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (10 to 20 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 Santa Clarita (Newhall 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 Santa Clarita?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 67 minutes then, versus up to 121 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Santa Clarita?

The 71-mile drive usually takes 67 to 121 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 93 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Santa Clarita?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 121 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (40 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (22 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

Santa Clarita 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 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	68	88	95	100	100	92	91	91	92	99	107	109	100	92	76	71	68
Tue	67	87	95	107	105	99	92	90	93	99	111	119	106	97	82	72	68
Wed	67	85	92	97	104	96	92	89	93	96	111	120	111	104	89	75	69
Thu	69	84	93	98	99	91	92	89	90	99	113	121	109	96	94	77	69
Fri	68	84	88	94	94	92	89	98	99	101	112	107	109	97	87	78	69
Sat	67	69	70	72	84	90	94	91	94	94	95	95	91	94	91	79	70
Sun	67	68	68	68	70	77	85	89	92	93	99	90	91	92	89	81	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	68	88	95	100	100	92	91	91	92	99	107	109	100	92	76	71	68
Tue	67	87	95	107	105	99	92	90	93	99	111	119	106	97	82	72	68
Wed	67	85	92	97	104	96	92	89	93	96	111	120	111	104	89	75	69
Thu	69	84	93	98	99	91	92	89	90	99	113	121	109	96	94	77	69
Fri	68	84	88	94	94	92	89	98	99	101	112	107	109	97	87	78	69
Sat	67	69	70	72	84	90	94	91	94	94	95	95	91	94	91	79	70
Sun	67	68	68	68	70	77	85	89	92	93	99	90	91	92	89	81	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	68	88	95	100	100	92	91	91	92	99	107	109	100	92	76	71	68
Tue	67	87	95	107	105	99	92	90	93	99	111	119	106	97	82	72	68
Wed	67	85	92	97	104	96	92	89	93	96	111	120	111	104	89	75	69
Thu	69	84	93	98	99	91	92	89	90	99	113	121	109	96	94	77	69
Fri	68	84	88	94	94	92	89	98	99	101	112	107	109	97	87	78	69
Sat	67	69	70	72	84	90	94	91	94	94	95	95	91	94	91	79	70
Sun	67	68	68	68	70	77	85	89	92	93	99	90	91	92	89	81	70