Best Time to Drive from Mission Viejo to Northridge

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 106 minutes via I-5 North, usually 89 at this time.

Only 30% 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 Mission Viejo to Northridge 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	66	88	91	97	93	85	84	85	87	90	94	113	104	84	74	68	65
Tue	66	86	97	100	98	90	86	84	86	90	107	122	112	89	80	69	66
Wed	66	84	90	95	97	88	86	84	86	90	116	133	122	96	82	71	66
Thu	66	83	91	97	95	87	86	86	87	92	113	131	114	92	83	73	67
Fri	66	80	83	89	87	86	86	89	91	96	108	105	102	94	84	75	67
Sat	65	67	69	72	79	87	88	89	90	89	90	92	89	88	87	77	67
Sun	66	66	66	67	70	75	83	84	89	88	92	87	88	89	88	77	67

About this drive

On weekdays the 74-mile drive from Mission Viejo to Northridge (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 65 minutes and up to 133 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 87 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (94 minutes).

About 69 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Mission Viejo to central Northridge 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 Northridge?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 65 minutes then, versus up to 133 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Mission Viejo to Northridge?

The 74-mile drive usually takes 65 to 133 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 87 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mission Viejo to Northridge?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 133 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (36 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (19 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (6 miles)

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

More drives

Northridge 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	88	91	97	93	85	84	85	87	90	94	113	104	84	74	68	65
Tue	66	86	97	100	98	90	86	84	86	90	107	122	112	89	80	69	66
Wed	66	84	90	95	97	88	86	84	86	90	116	133	122	96	82	71	66
Thu	66	83	91	97	95	87	86	86	87	92	113	131	114	92	83	73	67
Fri	66	80	83	89	87	86	86	89	91	96	108	105	102	94	84	75	67
Sat	65	67	69	72	79	87	88	89	90	89	90	92	89	88	87	77	67
Sun	66	66	66	67	70	75	83	84	89	88	92	87	88	89	88	77	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	88	91	97	93	85	84	85	87	90	94	113	104	84	74	68	65
Tue	66	86	97	100	98	90	86	84	86	90	107	122	112	89	80	69	66
Wed	66	84	90	95	97	88	86	84	86	90	116	133	122	96	82	71	66
Thu	66	83	91	97	95	87	86	86	87	92	113	131	114	92	83	73	67
Fri	66	80	83	89	87	86	86	89	91	96	108	105	102	94	84	75	67
Sat	65	67	69	72	79	87	88	89	90	89	90	92	89	88	87	77	67
Sun	66	66	66	67	70	75	83	84	89	88	92	87	88	89	88	77	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	66	88	91	97	93	85	84	85	87	90	94	113	104	84	74	68	65
Tue	66	86	97	100	98	90	86	84	86	90	107	122	112	89	80	69	66
Wed	66	84	90	95	97	88	86	84	86	90	116	133	122	96	82	71	66
Thu	66	83	91	97	95	87	86	86	87	92	113	131	114	92	83	73	67
Fri	66	80	83	89	87	86	86	89	91	96	108	105	102	94	84	75	67
Sat	65	67	69	72	79	87	88	89	90	89	90	92	89	88	87	77	67
Sun	66	66	66	67	70	75	83	84	89	88	92	87	88	89	88	77	67