Best Time to Drive from Palmdale to Irvine

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 124 minutes via I-5 South, usually 148 at this time.

Only 3% 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 Palmdale 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	112	140	143	144	131	129	137	136	148	162	183	176	165	148	133	112	105
Tue	115	142	154	163	148	138	136	143	154	188	197	188	177	156	144	121	104
Wed	113	147	158	175	151	137	139	143	158	181	194	187	178	166	145	120	104
Thu	111	137	156	169	155	150	154	157	183	190	199	192	176	162	148	120	105
Fri	111	133	145	152	145	141	142	156	188	198	195	191	175	167	144	130	109
Sat	105	107	111	116	130	140	147	156	163	173	170	166	156	153	137	134	111
Sun	104	107	108	106	111	123	132	144	152	156	156	148	141	136	135	126	111

About this drive

On weekdays the 93-mile drive from Palmdale to Irvine (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 104 minutes and up to 204 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 159 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (173 minutes).

About 53 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 40 miles surface streets (56 to 116 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palmdale to central 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 Palmdale to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 104 minutes then, versus up to 204 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Palmdale to Irvine?

The 93-mile drive usually takes 104 to 204 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 159 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palmdale to Irvine?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 204 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (17 miles) · SR-2 West in Los Angeles (8 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (4 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (3 miles) · I-210 West in Los Angeles (1.3 miles)

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

More drives

Irvine to Palmdale (return trip) · Palmdale to Los Angeles · Palmdale to Long Beach · Palmdale to Anaheim · Palmdale to Riverside · Palmdale to Santa Ana · Palmdale to Oxnard · Palmdale to Moreno Valley · Palmdale to Huntington Beach · Palmdale to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	112	140	143	144	131	129	137	136	148	162	183	176	165	148	133	112	105
Tue	115	142	154	163	148	138	136	143	154	188	197	188	177	156	144	121	104
Wed	113	147	158	175	151	137	139	143	158	181	194	187	178	166	145	120	104
Thu	111	137	156	169	155	150	154	157	183	190	199	192	176	162	148	120	105
Fri	111	133	145	152	145	141	142	156	188	198	195	191	175	167	144	130	109
Sat	105	107	111	116	130	140	147	156	163	173	170	166	156	153	137	134	111
Sun	104	107	108	106	111	123	132	144	152	156	156	148	141	136	135	126	111

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	112	140	143	144	131	129	137	136	148	162	183	176	165	148	133	112	105
Tue	115	142	154	163	148	138	136	143	154	188	197	188	177	156	144	121	104
Wed	113	147	158	175	151	137	139	143	158	181	194	187	178	166	145	120	104
Thu	111	137	156	169	155	150	154	157	183	190	199	192	176	162	148	120	105
Fri	111	133	145	152	145	141	142	156	188	198	195	191	175	167	144	130	109
Sat	105	107	111	116	130	140	147	156	163	173	170	166	156	153	137	134	111
Sun	104	107	108	106	111	123	132	144	152	156	156	148	141	136	135	126	111

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	112	140	143	144	131	129	137	136	148	162	183	176	165	148	133	112	105
Tue	115	142	154	163	148	138	136	143	154	188	197	188	177	156	144	121	104
Wed	113	147	158	175	151	137	139	143	158	181	194	187	178	166	145	120	104
Thu	111	137	156	169	155	150	154	157	183	190	199	192	176	162	148	120	105
Fri	111	133	145	152	145	141	142	156	188	198	195	191	175	167	144	130	109
Sat	105	107	111	116	130	140	147	156	163	173	170	166	156	153	137	134	111
Sun	104	107	108	106	111	123	132	144	152	156	156	148	141	136	135	126	111