Best Time to Drive from Riverside to UC Irvine

Right now (6:50 pm PDT): about 43 minutes via SR-91 West and SR-261 South, usually 43 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 Riverside to UC 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	43	53	62	59	55	46	46	45	44	45	46	46	47	44	42	41	40
Tue	43	54	67	64	58	49	45	44	44	45	45	49	49	46	42	41	40
Wed	43	54	62	64	59	49	45	44	44	45	47	49	50	47	43	41	39
Thu	42	53	60	57	52	48	45	45	45	46	46	48	49	47	42	41	40
Fri	41	49	49	47	46	45	44	45	46	46	46	48	50	47	43	41	39
Sat	40	41	41	41	42	43	44	45	47	46	46	47	47	44	42	40	39
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	44	45	45	45	45	44	43	42	43	42	42	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 42-mile drive from Riverside to UC Irvine (via SR-91 West and SR-261 South) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 67 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 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 45 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 6 miles surface streets (8 to 12 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Riverside to central UC 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 Riverside to UC Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 67 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 42-mile drive usually takes 39 to 67 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Riverside to UC Irvine?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 67 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 West in Orange County (21 miles) · SR-261 South in Orange County (8 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (6 miles)

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

More drives

UC 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	43	53	62	59	55	46	46	45	44	45	46	46	47	44	42	41	40
Tue	43	54	67	64	58	49	45	44	44	45	45	49	49	46	42	41	40
Wed	43	54	62	64	59	49	45	44	44	45	47	49	50	47	43	41	39
Thu	42	53	60	57	52	48	45	45	45	46	46	48	49	47	42	41	40
Fri	41	49	49	47	46	45	44	45	46	46	46	48	50	47	43	41	39
Sat	40	41	41	41	42	43	44	45	47	46	46	47	47	44	42	40	39
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	44	45	45	45	45	44	43	42	43	42	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	53	62	59	55	46	46	45	44	45	46	46	47	44	42	41	40
Tue	43	54	67	64	58	49	45	44	44	45	45	49	49	46	42	41	40
Wed	43	54	62	64	59	49	45	44	44	45	47	49	50	47	43	41	39
Thu	42	53	60	57	52	48	45	45	45	46	46	48	49	47	42	41	40
Fri	41	49	49	47	46	45	44	45	46	46	46	48	50	47	43	41	39
Sat	40	41	41	41	42	43	44	45	47	46	46	47	47	44	42	40	39
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	44	45	45	45	45	44	43	42	43	42	42	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	53	62	59	55	46	46	45	44	45	46	46	47	44	42	41	40
Tue	43	54	67	64	58	49	45	44	44	45	45	49	49	46	42	41	40
Wed	43	54	62	64	59	49	45	44	44	45	47	49	50	47	43	41	39
Thu	42	53	60	57	52	48	45	45	45	46	46	48	49	47	42	41	40
Fri	41	49	49	47	46	45	44	45	46	46	46	48	50	47	43	41	39
Sat	40	41	41	41	42	43	44	45	47	46	46	47	47	44	42	40	39
Sun	39	40	40	40	41	44	45	45	45	45	44	43	42	43	42	42	40