Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to UC Irvine

Right now (7:32 pm PDT): about 43 minutes via I-405 South and I-5 South and I-605 South, usually 46 at this time.

Only 4% 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 UC 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	40	45	50	58	45	44	50	50	53	50	75	88	83	75	55	43	40
Tue	39	41	57	73	49	44	45	48	49	55	79	94	90	80	62	51	40
Wed	39	41	63	69	50	43	45	48	49	58	65	76	73	70	60	46	40
Thu	39	41	59	66	50	47	51	52	57	58	84	85	88	83	61	45	41
Fri	39	40	50	60	52	47	48	50	58	72	81	85	84	78	57	49	41
Sat	39	39	40	42	44	45	48	50	52	56	60	61	53	50	46	46	42
Sun	39	39	39	39	40	45	44	49	50	53	53	51	49	45	47	45	42

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from Los Angeles to UC Irvine (via I-405 South and I-5 South and I-605 South) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 95 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 52 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 41 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.8 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Downtown LA (City Hall) to central UC Irvine 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 UC Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 95 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 43-mile drive usually takes 39 to 95 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 52 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to UC Irvine?

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

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Orange County (14 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (11 miles) · I-605 South in Orange County (10 miles) · SR-73 South in Orange County (4 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

More drives

UC 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	40	45	50	58	45	44	50	50	53	50	75	88	83	75	55	43	40
Tue	39	41	57	73	49	44	45	48	49	55	79	94	90	80	62	51	40
Wed	39	41	63	69	50	43	45	48	49	58	65	76	73	70	60	46	40
Thu	39	41	59	66	50	47	51	52	57	58	84	85	88	83	61	45	41
Fri	39	40	50	60	52	47	48	50	58	72	81	85	84	78	57	49	41
Sat	39	39	40	42	44	45	48	50	52	56	60	61	53	50	46	46	42
Sun	39	39	39	39	40	45	44	49	50	53	53	51	49	45	47	45	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	45	50	58	45	44	50	50	53	50	75	88	83	75	55	43	40
Tue	39	41	57	73	49	44	45	48	49	55	79	94	90	80	62	51	40
Wed	39	41	63	69	50	43	45	48	49	58	65	76	73	70	60	46	40
Thu	39	41	59	66	50	47	51	52	57	58	84	85	88	83	61	45	41
Fri	39	40	50	60	52	47	48	50	58	72	81	85	84	78	57	49	41
Sat	39	39	40	42	44	45	48	50	52	56	60	61	53	50	46	46	42
Sun	39	39	39	39	40	45	44	49	50	53	53	51	49	45	47	45	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	45	50	58	45	44	50	50	53	50	75	88	83	75	55	43	40
Tue	39	41	57	73	49	44	45	48	49	55	79	94	90	80	62	51	40
Wed	39	41	63	69	50	43	45	48	49	58	65	76	73	70	60	46	40
Thu	39	41	59	66	50	47	51	52	57	58	84	85	88	83	61	45	41
Fri	39	40	50	60	52	47	48	50	58	72	81	85	84	78	57	49	41
Sat	39	39	40	42	44	45	48	50	52	56	60	61	53	50	46	46	42
Sun	39	39	39	39	40	45	44	49	50	53	53	51	49	45	47	45	42