Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Sylmar
Right now (5:17 pm PDT): about 100 minutes via I-5 North and I-210 West, usually 99 at this time.
Only 46% 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 | 63 | 76 | 81 | 88 | 85 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 85 | 90 | 94 | 89 | 84 | 69 | 65 | 63 |
| Tue | 63 | 76 | 84 | 91 | 88 | 84 | 80 | 78 | 80 | 85 | 96 | 102 | 92 | 84 | 73 | 66 | 64 |
| Wed | 63 | 75 | 82 | 85 | 87 | 81 | 79 | 78 | 81 | 85 | 96 | 103 | 102 | 96 | 78 | 69 | 64 |
| Thu | 63 | 74 | 82 | 86 | 86 | 81 | 80 | 78 | 78 | 84 | 99 | 103 | 97 | 86 | 80 | 68 | 64 |
| Fri | 63 | 75 | 76 | 81 | 81 | 80 | 78 | 83 | 86 | 91 | 102 | 97 | 100 | 86 | 76 | 69 | 64 |
| Sat | 63 | 64 | 66 | 67 | 73 | 76 | 79 | 77 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 69 | 64 |
| Sun | 63 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 66 | 69 | 73 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 79 | 75 | 76 | 76 | 74 | 71 | 65 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 72-mile drive from Irvine to Sylmar (via I-5 North and I-210 West) usually takes as little as 63 minutes and up to 103 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 81 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (83 minutes).
About 71 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.9 miles surface streets (1 to 2 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Irvine to central Sylmar 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 Sylmar?
On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 63 minutes then, versus up to 103 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Sylmar?
The 72-mile drive usually takes 63 to 103 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 81 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Irvine to Sylmar?
Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 103 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-210 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (15 miles) · SR-2 East in Los Angeles (9 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (5 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (4 miles)
Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow
More drives
Sylmar 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