Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Van Nuys

Right now (12:50 am PDT): about 55 minutes via I-5 North.

Only 30% 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 Van Nuys 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	54	73	78	84	84	76	78	77	80	90	94	105	98	86	64	57	55
Tue	54	71	80	91	88	84	77	76	80	93	99	119	108	87	70	58	55
Wed	54	70	76	82	88	79	76	74	80	85	101	122	113	95	78	63	55
Thu	55	69	76	82	83	75	76	75	78	91	103	118	108	90	82	66	56
Fri	54	68	72	77	77	75	78	83	91	95	104	103	106	87	75	65	56
Sat	54	55	57	59	69	75	80	78	83	81	81	80	78	79	77	65	56
Sun	54	56	55	55	57	64	70	74	77	81	85	80	80	75	72	66	57

About this drive

On weekdays the 58-mile drive from Irvine to Van Nuys (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 54 minutes and up to 122 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 81 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (86 minutes).

About 53 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 26 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 Van Nuys (Haynes 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 Van Nuys?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 54 minutes then, versus up to 122 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Van Nuys?

The 58-mile drive usually takes 54 to 122 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 81 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Van Nuys?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 122 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (18 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (3 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

Van Nuys 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 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	54	73	78	84	84	76	78	77	80	90	94	105	98	86	64	57	55
Tue	54	71	80	91	88	84	77	76	80	93	99	119	108	87	70	58	55
Wed	54	70	76	82	88	79	76	74	80	85	101	122	113	95	78	63	55
Thu	55	69	76	82	83	75	76	75	78	91	103	118	108	90	82	66	56
Fri	54	68	72	77	77	75	78	83	91	95	104	103	106	87	75	65	56
Sat	54	55	57	59	69	75	80	78	83	81	81	80	78	79	77	65	56
Sun	54	56	55	55	57	64	70	74	77	81	85	80	80	75	72	66	57

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	73	78	84	84	76	78	77	80	90	94	105	98	86	64	57	55
Tue	54	71	80	91	88	84	77	76	80	93	99	119	108	87	70	58	55
Wed	54	70	76	82	88	79	76	74	80	85	101	122	113	95	78	63	55
Thu	55	69	76	82	83	75	76	75	78	91	103	118	108	90	82	66	56
Fri	54	68	72	77	77	75	78	83	91	95	104	103	106	87	75	65	56
Sat	54	55	57	59	69	75	80	78	83	81	81	80	78	79	77	65	56
Sun	54	56	55	55	57	64	70	74	77	81	85	80	80	75	72	66	57

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	73	78	84	84	76	78	77	80	90	94	105	98	86	64	57	55
Tue	54	71	80	91	88	84	77	76	80	93	99	119	108	87	70	58	55
Wed	54	70	76	82	88	79	76	74	80	85	101	122	113	95	78	63	55
Thu	55	69	76	82	83	75	76	75	78	91	103	118	108	90	82	66	56
Fri	54	68	72	77	77	75	78	83	91	95	104	103	106	87	75	65	56
Sat	54	55	57	59	69	75	80	78	83	81	81	80	78	79	77	65	56
Sun	54	56	55	55	57	64	70	74	77	81	85	80	80	75	72	66	57