Best Time to Drive from San Diego to Irvine

Right now (7:50 pm PST): about 108 minutes via I-5 North, usually 82 at this time.

Only 53% 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 San Diego 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	79	80	85	88	87	86	85	86	85	86	90	100	95	84	82	81	80
Tue	79	81	86	90	90	87	86	86	86	86	97	110	105	90	83	82	80
Wed	79	82	85	89	89	89	87	88	86	87	98	113	109	92	84	82	80
Thu	79	82	85	89	89	89	88	88	87	88	101	111	111	93	84	82	80
Fri	79	81	83	86	86	86	86	89	92	97	104	106	95	86	85	82	79
Sat	79	79	80	81	82	86	91	93	92	90	89	88	86	83	83	83	80
Sun	79	79	79	80	81	85	93	94	95	94	90	89	87	84	84	83	79

About this drive

On weekdays the 84-mile drive from San Diego to Irvine (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 79 minutes and up to 114 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 87 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (95 minutes).

About 75 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (14 to 26 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Diego (East Broadway) 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 San Diego to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 79 minutes then, versus up to 114 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Diego to Irvine?

The 84-mile drive usually takes 79 to 114 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 87 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Diego to Irvine?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 114 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (50 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (1.9 miles)

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

San Diego to Irvine over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Irvine to San Diego (return trip) · San Diego to Escondido · San Diego to Oceanside · San Diego to El Cajon · San Diego to Carlsbad · San Diego to Los Angeles · San Diego to Temecula · San Diego to LAX · San Diego to Riverside · San Diego to Chula Vista · San Diego to La Jolla · San Diego to Anaheim

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	80	85	88	87	86	85	86	85	86	90	100	95	84	82	81	80
Tue	79	81	86	90	90	87	86	86	86	86	97	110	105	90	83	82	80
Wed	79	82	85	89	89	89	87	88	86	87	98	113	109	92	84	82	80
Thu	79	82	85	89	89	89	88	88	87	88	101	111	111	93	84	82	80
Fri	79	81	83	86	86	86	86	89	92	97	104	106	95	86	85	82	79
Sat	79	79	80	81	82	86	91	93	92	90	89	88	86	83	83	83	80
Sun	79	79	79	80	81	85	93	94	95	94	90	89	87	84	84	83	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	80	85	88	87	86	85	86	85	86	90	100	95	84	82	81	80
Tue	79	81	86	90	90	87	86	86	86	86	97	110	105	90	83	82	80
Wed	79	82	85	89	89	89	87	88	86	87	98	113	109	92	84	82	80
Thu	79	82	85	89	89	89	88	88	87	88	101	111	111	93	84	82	80
Fri	79	81	83	86	86	86	86	89	92	97	104	106	95	86	85	82	79
Sat	79	79	80	81	82	86	91	93	92	90	89	88	86	83	83	83	80
Sun	79	79	79	80	81	85	93	94	95	94	90	89	87	84	84	83	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	80	85	88	87	86	85	86	85	86	90	100	95	84	82	81	80
Tue	79	81	86	90	90	87	86	86	86	86	97	110	105	90	83	82	80
Wed	79	82	85	89	89	89	87	88	86	87	98	113	109	92	84	82	80
Thu	79	82	85	89	89	89	88	88	87	88	101	111	111	93	84	82	80
Fri	79	81	83	86	86	86	86	89	92	97	104	106	95	86	85	82	79
Sat	79	79	80	81	82	86	91	93	92	90	89	88	86	83	83	83	80
Sun	79	79	79	80	81	85	93	94	95	94	90	89	87	84	84	83	79