Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Van Nuys

Right now (5:38 am PDT): about 56 minutes via I-5 North, usually 62 at this time.

Only 29% 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	56	72	87	88	80	72	70	70	71	78	87	90	87	74	60	57	55
Tue	56	75	91	92	83	75	69	68	72	79	89	94	95	80	65	57	55
Wed	55	74	91	91	85	76	70	70	73	79	92	98	98	82	67	59	55
Thu	56	74	91	90	84	77	72	71	72	81	92	97	95	80	67	59	55
Fri	55	69	81	82	79	77	75	78	82	90	99	97	93	80	67	60	56
Sat	55	56	57	59	63	69	73	76	78	78	79	77	74	69	64	60	56
Sun	54	55	55	56	58	62	66	70	75	75	75	71	69	66	64	63	56

About this drive

On weekdays the 58-mile drive from Irvine to Van Nuys (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 55 minutes and up to 100 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 74 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (79 minutes).

About 53 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (9 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 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 pm. The drive usually takes about 55 minutes then, versus up to 100 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 58-mile drive usually takes 55 to 100 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 74 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Van Nuys?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 100 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	56	72	87	88	80	72	70	70	71	78	87	90	87	74	60	57	55
Tue	56	75	91	92	83	75	69	68	72	79	89	94	95	80	65	57	55
Wed	55	74	91	91	85	76	70	70	73	79	92	98	98	82	67	59	55
Thu	56	74	91	90	84	77	72	71	72	81	92	97	95	80	67	59	55
Fri	55	69	81	82	79	77	75	78	82	90	99	97	93	80	67	60	56
Sat	55	56	57	59	63	69	73	76	78	78	79	77	74	69	64	60	56
Sun	54	55	55	56	58	62	66	70	75	75	75	71	69	66	64	63	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	72	87	88	80	72	70	70	71	78	87	90	87	74	60	57	55
Tue	56	75	91	92	83	75	69	68	72	79	89	94	95	80	65	57	55
Wed	55	74	91	91	85	76	70	70	73	79	92	98	98	82	67	59	55
Thu	56	74	91	90	84	77	72	71	72	81	92	97	95	80	67	59	55
Fri	55	69	81	82	79	77	75	78	82	90	99	97	93	80	67	60	56
Sat	55	56	57	59	63	69	73	76	78	78	79	77	74	69	64	60	56
Sun	54	55	55	56	58	62	66	70	75	75	75	71	69	66	64	63	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	72	87	88	80	72	70	70	71	78	87	90	87	74	60	57	55
Tue	56	75	91	92	83	75	69	68	72	79	89	94	95	80	65	57	55
Wed	55	74	91	91	85	76	70	70	73	79	92	98	98	82	67	59	55
Thu	56	74	91	90	84	77	72	71	72	81	92	97	95	80	67	59	55
Fri	55	69	81	82	79	77	75	78	82	90	99	97	93	80	67	60	56
Sat	55	56	57	59	63	69	73	76	78	78	79	77	74	69	64	60	56
Sun	54	55	55	56	58	62	66	70	75	75	75	71	69	66	64	63	56