Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Irvine

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 50 minutes via I-5 South, usually 48 at this time.

Only 39% 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 Los Angeles 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	37	45	56	58	46	42	47	46	50	47	71	86	80	71	52	41	38
Tue	36	44	65	67	49	42	43	47	46	53	72	90	87	74	60	46	38
Wed	36	43	68	67	51	43	44	46	46	56	63	76	75	65	57	45	37
Thu	36	42	64	66	51	46	50	51	56	55	80	87	87	78	59	43	40
Fri	36	41	55	57	51	46	45	47	55	70	79	84	81	75	54	47	39
Sat	37	38	39	41	43	43	47	49	50	55	58	59	51	48	44	44	40
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	43	42	47	48	51	51	49	49	46	46	45	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Los Angeles to Irvine (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 36 minutes and up to 95 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (59 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Downtown LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) 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 Los Angeles to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 95 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Los Angeles to Irvine?

The 40-mile drive usually takes 36 to 95 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Irvine?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 95 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (2 miles)

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

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	45	56	58	46	42	47	46	50	47	71	86	80	71	52	41	38
Tue	36	44	65	67	49	42	43	47	46	53	72	90	87	74	60	46	38
Wed	36	43	68	67	51	43	44	46	46	56	63	76	75	65	57	45	37
Thu	36	42	64	66	51	46	50	51	56	55	80	87	87	78	59	43	40
Fri	36	41	55	57	51	46	45	47	55	70	79	84	81	75	54	47	39
Sat	37	38	39	41	43	43	47	49	50	55	58	59	51	48	44	44	40
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	43	42	47	48	51	51	49	49	46	46	45	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	45	56	58	46	42	47	46	50	47	71	86	80	71	52	41	38
Tue	36	44	65	67	49	42	43	47	46	53	72	90	87	74	60	46	38
Wed	36	43	68	67	51	43	44	46	46	56	63	76	75	65	57	45	37
Thu	36	42	64	66	51	46	50	51	56	55	80	87	87	78	59	43	40
Fri	36	41	55	57	51	46	45	47	55	70	79	84	81	75	54	47	39
Sat	37	38	39	41	43	43	47	49	50	55	58	59	51	48	44	44	40
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	43	42	47	48	51	51	49	49	46	46	45	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	45	56	58	46	42	47	46	50	47	71	86	80	71	52	41	38
Tue	36	44	65	67	49	42	43	47	46	53	72	90	87	74	60	46	38
Wed	36	43	68	67	51	43	44	46	46	56	63	76	75	65	57	45	37
Thu	36	42	64	66	51	46	50	51	56	55	80	87	87	78	59	43	40
Fri	36	41	55	57	51	46	45	47	55	70	79	84	81	75	54	47	39
Sat	37	38	39	41	43	43	47	49	50	55	58	59	51	48	44	44	40
Sun	37	37	37	38	39	43	42	47	48	51	51	49	49	46	46	45	40