Best Time to Drive from Poway to Irvine

Right now (7:51 pm PST): about 104 minutes via I-5 North, usually 77 at this time.

Only 66% 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 Poway 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	74	75	79	90	86	81	80	81	80	80	83	91	89	79	77	76	75
Tue	74	75	79	94	89	82	80	80	80	80	89	100	95	85	77	76	75
Wed	74	76	78	92	89	84	81	81	80	81	90	101	96	86	78	76	75
Thu	74	76	78	92	87	83	82	81	81	82	92	99	99	87	78	77	75
Fri	74	76	78	83	82	81	81	83	87	91	96	97	89	80	79	77	74
Sat	74	75	75	76	77	81	87	89	87	85	84	83	80	78	78	77	74
Sun	75	75	75	75	77	80	88	90	91	89	86	84	82	79	79	78	74

About this drive

On weekdays the 84-mile drive from Poway to Irvine (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 74 minutes and up to 101 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 82 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (92 minutes).

About 78 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Poway 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 Poway to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 74 minutes then, versus up to 101 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 84-mile drive usually takes 74 to 101 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 82 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Poway to Irvine?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 101 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (38 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (23 miles) · SR-56 West in San Diego (10 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (7 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (1.2 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Irvine to Poway (return trip) · Poway to San Diego · Poway to Chula Vista · Poway to Moreno Valley · Poway to Oceanside · Poway to Escondido · Poway to Carlsbad · Poway to Costa Mesa · Poway to Temecula · Poway to Murrieta · Poway to Vista · Poway to Mission Viejo

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	75	79	90	86	81	80	81	80	80	83	91	89	79	77	76	75
Tue	74	75	79	94	89	82	80	80	80	80	89	100	95	85	77	76	75
Wed	74	76	78	92	89	84	81	81	80	81	90	101	96	86	78	76	75
Thu	74	76	78	92	87	83	82	81	81	82	92	99	99	87	78	77	75
Fri	74	76	78	83	82	81	81	83	87	91	96	97	89	80	79	77	74
Sat	74	75	75	76	77	81	87	89	87	85	84	83	80	78	78	77	74
Sun	75	75	75	75	77	80	88	90	91	89	86	84	82	79	79	78	74

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	75	79	90	86	81	80	81	80	80	83	91	89	79	77	76	75
Tue	74	75	79	94	89	82	80	80	80	80	89	100	95	85	77	76	75
Wed	74	76	78	92	89	84	81	81	80	81	90	101	96	86	78	76	75
Thu	74	76	78	92	87	83	82	81	81	82	92	99	99	87	78	77	75
Fri	74	76	78	83	82	81	81	83	87	91	96	97	89	80	79	77	74
Sat	74	75	75	76	77	81	87	89	87	85	84	83	80	78	78	77	74
Sun	75	75	75	75	77	80	88	90	91	89	86	84	82	79	79	78	74

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	74	75	79	90	86	81	80	81	80	80	83	91	89	79	77	76	75
Tue	74	75	79	94	89	82	80	80	80	80	89	100	95	85	77	76	75
Wed	74	76	78	92	89	84	81	81	80	81	90	101	96	86	78	76	75
Thu	74	76	78	92	87	83	82	81	81	82	92	99	99	87	78	77	75
Fri	74	76	78	83	82	81	81	83	87	91	96	97	89	80	79	77	74
Sat	74	75	75	76	77	81	87	89	87	85	84	83	80	78	78	77	74
Sun	75	75	75	75	77	80	88	90	91	89	86	84	82	79	79	78	74