Best Time to Drive from San Diego to Irvine

Right now (10:19 pm PDT): about 80 minutes via I-5 North.

Only 32% 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.

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 115 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 88 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Sundays (100 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Irvine to San Diego

Freeway, about 75 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 9 miles: 14 to 24 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from downtown San Diego (East Broadway) to central Irvine (Harvard Avenue) along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

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	86	85	85	85	84	85	92	98	93	83	81	81	80
Tue	79	81	86	89	89	86	85	86	86	89	98	107	100	87	82	81	81
Wed	79	81	86	90	89	87	87	87	90	91	105	115	108	92	83	81	79
Thu	79	81	85	88	87	87	86	86	86	87	102	113	107	90	82	82	80
Fri	79	80	82	85	85	86	87	90	93	99	111	110	97	83	83	82	79
Sat	79	79	79	81	83	89	97	99	93	92	89	88	85	82	82	83	79
Sun	79	79	79	80	81	86	98	100	99	96	92	90	88	84	83	83	79

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 115 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 115 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 88 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Diego to Irvine?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 115 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

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

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	86	85	85	85	84	85	92	98	93	83	81	81	80
Tue	79	81	86	89	89	86	85	86	86	89	98	107	100	87	82	81	81
Wed	79	81	86	90	89	87	87	87	90	91	105	115	108	92	83	81	79
Thu	79	81	85	88	87	87	86	86	86	87	102	113	107	90	82	82	80
Fri	79	80	82	85	85	86	87	90	93	99	111	110	97	83	83	82	79
Sat	79	79	79	81	83	89	97	99	93	92	89	88	85	82	82	83	79
Sun	79	79	79	80	81	86	98	100	99	96	92	90	88	84	83	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	86	85	85	85	84	85	92	98	93	83	81	81	80
Tue	79	81	86	89	89	86	85	86	86	89	98	107	100	87	82	81	81
Wed	79	81	86	90	89	87	87	87	90	91	105	115	108	92	83	81	79
Thu	79	81	85	88	87	87	86	86	86	87	102	113	107	90	82	82	80
Fri	79	80	82	85	85	86	87	90	93	99	111	110	97	83	83	82	79
Sat	79	79	79	81	83	89	97	99	93	92	89	88	85	82	82	83	79
Sun	79	79	79	80	81	86	98	100	99	96	92	90	88	84	83	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	86	85	85	85	84	85	92	98	93	83	81	81	80
Tue	79	81	86	89	89	86	85	86	86	89	98	107	100	87	82	81	81
Wed	79	81	86	90	89	87	87	87	90	91	105	115	108	92	83	81	79
Thu	79	81	85	88	87	87	86	86	86	87	102	113	107	90	82	82	80
Fri	79	80	82	85	85	86	87	90	93	99	111	110	97	83	83	82	79
Sat	79	79	79	81	83	89	97	99	93	92	89	88	85	82	82	83	79
Sun	79	79	79	80	81	86	98	100	99	96	92	90	88	84	83	83	79