Best Time to Drive from Irvine to Vista

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 50 minutes via I-5 South, usually 52 at this time.

Only 20% 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 Vista 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	48	50	51	51	52	51	52	53	53	53	52	52	52	51	50	50	48
Tue	49	51	53	51	52	53	52	52	52	52	53	55	52	54	51	51	49
Wed	48	51	54	51	52	54	53	54	52	55	56	55	53	52	51	51	49
Thu	48	51	53	51	52	56	55	53	53	56	59	58	54	52	52	52	48
Fri	49	51	52	51	52	59	64	71	81	86	88	86	76	65	56	51	49
Sat	49	49	49	54	70	79	84	87	86	81	82	86	70	60	52	50	48
Sun	49	48	49	49	50	58	68	66	65	65	62	61	54	51	51	51	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from Irvine to Vista (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 88 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 9:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 57 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10:30 am on Saturdays (90 minutes).

About 54 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.3 miles surface streets (1 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Irvine to central Vista 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 Vista?

On weekdays, leave before 9:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 88 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Vista?

The 55-mile drive usually takes 48 to 88 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 57 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Irvine to Vista?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 88 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (28 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (17 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (6 miles) · SR-78 East in San Diego (4 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

Vista 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	48	50	51	51	52	51	52	53	53	53	52	52	52	51	50	50	48
Tue	49	51	53	51	52	53	52	52	52	52	53	55	52	54	51	51	49
Wed	48	51	54	51	52	54	53	54	52	55	56	55	53	52	51	51	49
Thu	48	51	53	51	52	56	55	53	53	56	59	58	54	52	52	52	48
Fri	49	51	52	51	52	59	64	71	81	86	88	86	76	65	56	51	49
Sat	49	49	49	54	70	79	84	87	86	81	82	86	70	60	52	50	48
Sun	49	48	49	49	50	58	68	66	65	65	62	61	54	51	51	51	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	50	51	51	52	51	52	53	53	53	52	52	52	51	50	50	48
Tue	49	51	53	51	52	53	52	52	52	52	53	55	52	54	51	51	49
Wed	48	51	54	51	52	54	53	54	52	55	56	55	53	52	51	51	49
Thu	48	51	53	51	52	56	55	53	53	56	59	58	54	52	52	52	48
Fri	49	51	52	51	52	59	64	71	81	86	88	86	76	65	56	51	49
Sat	49	49	49	54	70	79	84	87	86	81	82	86	70	60	52	50	48
Sun	49	48	49	49	50	58	68	66	65	65	62	61	54	51	51	51	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	50	51	51	52	51	52	53	53	53	52	52	52	51	50	50	48
Tue	49	51	53	51	52	53	52	52	52	52	53	55	52	54	51	51	49
Wed	48	51	54	51	52	54	53	54	52	55	56	55	53	52	51	51	49
Thu	48	51	53	51	52	56	55	53	53	56	59	58	54	52	52	52	48
Fri	49	51	52	51	52	59	64	71	81	86	88	86	76	65	56	51	49
Sat	49	49	49	54	70	79	84	87	86	81	82	86	70	60	52	50	48
Sun	49	48	49	49	50	58	68	66	65	65	62	61	54	51	51	51	49