Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Thousand Oaks

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 117 minutes via I-5 North and US-101 North, usually 98 at this time.

Only 22% 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 Thousand Oaks 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	71	94	96	101	101	92	91	91	91	97	103	123	113	92	78	73	72
Tue	71	90	100	107	105	100	92	90	91	99	119	143	127	97	83	74	72
Wed	70	90	93	99	106	96	93	90	94	98	122	144	133	108	92	78	73
Thu	72	87	94	100	101	92	91	90	90	100	118	140	126	101	95	80	74
Fri	71	86	89	95	94	90	89	95	98	101	114	113	114	98	89	81	73
Sat	72	75	74	76	86	90	95	91	94	94	95	96	92	93	92	82	73
Sun	71	74	71	72	74	80	87	90	93	93	98	93	91	90	87	82	73

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Irvine to Thousand Oaks (via I-5 North and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 70 minutes and up to 144 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 93 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (101 minutes).

About 76 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 11 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 Thousand Oaks 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 Thousand Oaks?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 70 minutes then, versus up to 144 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Thousand Oaks?

The 80-mile drive usually takes 70 to 144 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 93 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Thousand Oaks?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 144 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (18 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 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

Thousand Oaks 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	94	96	101	101	92	91	91	91	97	103	123	113	92	78	73	72
Tue	71	90	100	107	105	100	92	90	91	99	119	143	127	97	83	74	72
Wed	70	90	93	99	106	96	93	90	94	98	122	144	133	108	92	78	73
Thu	72	87	94	100	101	92	91	90	90	100	118	140	126	101	95	80	74
Fri	71	86	89	95	94	90	89	95	98	101	114	113	114	98	89	81	73
Sat	72	75	74	76	86	90	95	91	94	94	95	96	92	93	92	82	73
Sun	71	74	71	72	74	80	87	90	93	93	98	93	91	90	87	82	73

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	94	96	101	101	92	91	91	91	97	103	123	113	92	78	73	72
Tue	71	90	100	107	105	100	92	90	91	99	119	143	127	97	83	74	72
Wed	70	90	93	99	106	96	93	90	94	98	122	144	133	108	92	78	73
Thu	72	87	94	100	101	92	91	90	90	100	118	140	126	101	95	80	74
Fri	71	86	89	95	94	90	89	95	98	101	114	113	114	98	89	81	73
Sat	72	75	74	76	86	90	95	91	94	94	95	96	92	93	92	82	73
Sun	71	74	71	72	74	80	87	90	93	93	98	93	91	90	87	82	73

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	94	96	101	101	92	91	91	91	97	103	123	113	92	78	73	72
Tue	71	90	100	107	105	100	92	90	91	99	119	143	127	97	83	74	72
Wed	70	90	93	99	106	96	93	90	94	98	122	144	133	108	92	78	73
Thu	72	87	94	100	101	92	91	90	90	100	118	140	126	101	95	80	74
Fri	71	86	89	95	94	90	89	95	98	101	114	113	114	98	89	81	73
Sat	72	75	74	76	86	90	95	91	94	94	95	96	92	93	92	82	73
Sun	71	74	71	72	74	80	87	90	93	93	98	93	91	90	87	82	73