Best Time to Drive from Mission Viejo to Irvine
Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 15 minutes via I-5 North and I-405 North, usually 15 at this time.
Only 40% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| Tue | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| Wed | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| Thu | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| Fri | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| Sat | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Sun | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 11-mile drive from Mission Viejo to Irvine (via I-5 North and I-405 North) usually takes as little as 14 minutes and up to 20 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 15 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (15 minutes).
About 7 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (8 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Mission Viejo (Chrisanta Drive) 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 Mission Viejo to Irvine?
On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 14 minutes then, versus up to 20 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Mission Viejo to Irvine?
The 11-mile drive usually takes 14 to 20 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 15 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Mission Viejo to Irvine?
Leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 20 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 North in Orange County (5 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (1.9 miles)
Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow
More drives
Irvine to Mission Viejo (return trip) · Mission Viejo to Los Angeles · Mission Viejo to Santa Monica · Mission Viejo to Pasadena · Mission Viejo to Long Beach · Mission Viejo to West Covina · Mission Viejo to Burbank · Mission Viejo to Glendale · Mission Viejo to Van Nuys · Mission Viejo to Torrance · Mission Viejo to LAX · Mission Viejo to Hollywood