Best Time to Drive from Long Beach to Irvine

Right now (4:52 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via I-405 South, usually 35 at this time.

Only 6% 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 Long Beach to Irvine 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	31	31	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	33	33	34	37	34	32	32	31
Tue	30	31	32	33	33	33	32	33	33	33	33	35	39	35	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	32	33	33	34	34	33	34	34	34	36	40	35	34	35	32
Thu	30	31	33	34	33	33	33	33	33	32	33	35	38	35	33	32	31
Fri	30	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	33	34	35	33	32	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 24-mile drive from Long Beach to Irvine (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 40 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (32 minutes).

About 16 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (16 to 24 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Long Beach (Pacific Avenue) to central Irvine (Harvard Avenue) 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 Long Beach to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 8:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 40 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Long Beach to Irvine?

The 24-mile drive usually takes 30 to 40 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Long Beach to Irvine?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 40 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Orange County (16 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Irvine to Long Beach (return trip) · Long Beach to Los Angeles · Long Beach to Santa Monica · Long Beach to Pasadena · Long Beach to West Covina · Long Beach to Burbank · Long Beach to Glendale · Long Beach to Santa Clarita · Long Beach to Van Nuys · Long Beach to LAX · Long Beach to Hollywood · Long Beach to Culver City

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	33	33	34	37	34	32	32	31
Tue	30	31	32	33	33	33	32	33	33	33	33	35	39	35	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	32	33	33	34	34	33	34	34	34	36	40	35	34	35	32
Thu	30	31	33	34	33	33	33	33	33	32	33	35	38	35	33	32	31
Fri	30	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	33	34	35	33	32	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	33	33	34	37	34	32	32	31
Tue	30	31	32	33	33	33	32	33	33	33	33	35	39	35	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	32	33	33	34	34	33	34	34	34	36	40	35	34	35	32
Thu	30	31	33	34	33	33	33	33	33	32	33	35	38	35	33	32	31
Fri	30	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	33	34	35	33	32	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	33	33	34	37	34	32	32	31
Tue	30	31	32	33	33	33	32	33	33	33	33	35	39	35	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	32	33	33	34	34	33	34	34	34	36	40	35	34	35	32
Thu	30	31	33	34	33	33	33	33	33	32	33	35	38	35	33	32	31
Fri	30	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	32	33	33	34	35	33	32	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	31