Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Simi Valley

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 95 minutes via I-5 North and SR-118 West, usually 101 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Irvine to Simi Valley (via I-5 North and SR-118 West) usually takes as little as 72 minutes and up to 136 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 99 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (102 minutes).

About 76 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 15 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 Simi Valley (3rd 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 Simi Valley?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 72 minutes then, versus up to 136 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Simi Valley?

The 80-mile drive usually takes 72 to 136 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 99 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Simi Valley?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 136 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (31 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · SR-118 West in Los Angeles (20 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

Irvine to Simi Valley over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Simi Valley 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

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