Best Time to Drive from Riverside to Irvine

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 41 minutes via SR-91 West, usually 42 at this time.

Only 24% 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 Riverside 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	42	52	59	59	52	44	43	42	41	42	43	45	47	42	40	39	39
Tue	40	54	66	63	56	47	42	41	41	43	43	47	49	45	41	39	38
Wed	41	54	64	62	57	48	43	42	42	43	45	46	49	46	40	38	37
Thu	40	53	59	56	52	46	43	43	43	43	43	46	48	46	40	39	38
Fri	38	47	47	45	45	43	42	43	44	44	44	46	48	44	40	39	37
Sat	37	39	39	39	41	41	44	45	47	45	45	45	44	41	39	38	37
Sun	37	38	38	39	39	42	43	44	43	42	42	40	40	39	39	39	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from Riverside to Irvine (via SR-91 West) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (47 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 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 Riverside 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 Riverside to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 39-mile drive usually takes 37 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Riverside to Irvine?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 West in Orange County (20 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (7 miles) · SR-261 South in Orange County (5 miles) · SR-91 West in Inland Empire (3 miles)

Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Irvine to Riverside (return trip) · Riverside to Los Angeles · Riverside to Santa Monica · Riverside to Pasadena · Riverside to Long Beach · Riverside to West Covina · Riverside to Burbank · Riverside to Glendale · Riverside to Van Nuys · Riverside to Torrance · Riverside to LAX · Riverside 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	42	52	59	59	52	44	43	42	41	42	43	45	47	42	40	39	39
Tue	40	54	66	63	56	47	42	41	41	43	43	47	49	45	41	39	38
Wed	41	54	64	62	57	48	43	42	42	43	45	46	49	46	40	38	37
Thu	40	53	59	56	52	46	43	43	43	43	43	46	48	46	40	39	38
Fri	38	47	47	45	45	43	42	43	44	44	44	46	48	44	40	39	37
Sat	37	39	39	39	41	41	44	45	47	45	45	45	44	41	39	38	37
Sun	37	38	38	39	39	42	43	44	43	42	42	40	40	39	39	39	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	52	59	59	52	44	43	42	41	42	43	45	47	42	40	39	39
Tue	40	54	66	63	56	47	42	41	41	43	43	47	49	45	41	39	38
Wed	41	54	64	62	57	48	43	42	42	43	45	46	49	46	40	38	37
Thu	40	53	59	56	52	46	43	43	43	43	43	46	48	46	40	39	38
Fri	38	47	47	45	45	43	42	43	44	44	44	46	48	44	40	39	37
Sat	37	39	39	39	41	41	44	45	47	45	45	45	44	41	39	38	37
Sun	37	38	38	39	39	42	43	44	43	42	42	40	40	39	39	39	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	52	59	59	52	44	43	42	41	42	43	45	47	42	40	39	39
Tue	40	54	66	63	56	47	42	41	41	43	43	47	49	45	41	39	38
Wed	41	54	64	62	57	48	43	42	42	43	45	46	49	46	40	38	37
Thu	40	53	59	56	52	46	43	43	43	43	43	46	48	46	40	39	38
Fri	38	47	47	45	45	43	42	43	44	44	44	46	48	44	40	39	37
Sat	37	39	39	39	41	41	44	45	47	45	45	45	44	41	39	38	37
Sun	37	38	38	39	39	42	43	44	43	42	42	40	40	39	39	39	37