Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Van Nuys

Right now (12:39 pm PST): about 80 minutes via I-5 North, usually 108 at this time.

Only 26% 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	82	93	100	96	87	86	86	90	108	114	116	101	89	71	57	55
Tue	54	80	90	102	103	93	81	84	96	112	116	116	104	100	80	60	55
Wed	53	76	86	92	100	89	88	85	93	103	114	120	105	101	83	64	56
Thu	54	75	87	97	95	87	85	87	99	112	119	121	105	97	88	68	56
Fri	54	72	81	89	87	86	88	97	115	117	120	117	112	99	87	71	57
Sat	54	56	57	62	71	85	88	96	102	99	101	103	97	96	91	72	58
Sun	55	55	55	56	59	72	82	90	94	99	101	92	91	91	84	74	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 58-mile drive from Irvine to Van Nuys (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 53 minutes and up to 123 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 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 96 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (104 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 53 minutes then, versus up to 123 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 58-mile drive usually takes 53 to 123 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 96 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Van Nuys?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 123 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

Irvine to Van Nuys over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

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	82	93	100	96	87	86	86	90	108	114	116	101	89	71	57	55
Tue	54	80	90	102	103	93	81	84	96	112	116	116	104	100	80	60	55
Wed	53	76	86	92	100	89	88	85	93	103	114	120	105	101	83	64	56
Thu	54	75	87	97	95	87	85	87	99	112	119	121	105	97	88	68	56
Fri	54	72	81	89	87	86	88	97	115	117	120	117	112	99	87	71	57
Sat	54	56	57	62	71	85	88	96	102	99	101	103	97	96	91	72	58
Sun	55	55	55	56	59	72	82	90	94	99	101	92	91	91	84	74	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	82	93	100	96	87	86	86	90	108	114	116	101	89	71	57	55
Tue	54	80	90	102	103	93	81	84	96	112	116	116	104	100	80	60	55
Wed	53	76	86	92	100	89	88	85	93	103	114	120	105	101	83	64	56
Thu	54	75	87	97	95	87	85	87	99	112	119	121	105	97	88	68	56
Fri	54	72	81	89	87	86	88	97	115	117	120	117	112	99	87	71	57
Sat	54	56	57	62	71	85	88	96	102	99	101	103	97	96	91	72	58
Sun	55	55	55	56	59	72	82	90	94	99	101	92	91	91	84	74	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	54	82	93	100	96	87	86	86	90	108	114	116	101	89	71	57	55
Tue	54	80	90	102	103	93	81	84	96	112	116	116	104	100	80	60	55
Wed	53	76	86	92	100	89	88	85	93	103	114	120	105	101	83	64	56
Thu	54	75	87	97	95	87	85	87	99	112	119	121	105	97	88	68	56
Fri	54	72	81	89	87	86	88	97	115	117	120	117	112	99	87	71	57
Sat	54	56	57	62	71	85	88	96	102	99	101	103	97	96	91	72	58
Sun	55	55	55	56	59	72	82	90	94	99	101	92	91	91	84	74	58