Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Irvine

Right now (3:35 pm PST): about 87 minutes via I-405 South, usually 132 at this time.

Only 3% 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 Santa Monica 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	47	49	60	59	54	52	52	55	59	69	82	83	79	75	56	51	49
Tue	48	49	57	69	66	56	55	58	93	120	145	165	148	106	72	55	48
Wed	48	49	59	68	66	55	53	59	89	134	171	152	145	112	76	60	49
Thu	48	49	56	65	61	54	56	65	78	127	142	120	108	91	79	65	49
Fri	47	49	51	58	54	52	55	75	108	118	102	82	78	80	68	62	50
Sat	48	48	47	48	49	51	53	58	62	66	69	65	62	55	53	53	49
Sun	48	48	48	49	49	50	51	53	56	56	56	54	54	52	52	52	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 52-mile drive from Santa Monica to Irvine (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 171 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 78 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (73 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 171 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Irvine?

The 52-mile drive usually takes 47 to 171 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 78 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Irvine?

Leaving around 3 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 171 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (19 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

Santa Monica to Irvine over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Irvine to Santa Monica (return trip) · Santa Monica to Los Angeles · Santa Monica to Pasadena · Santa Monica to Long Beach · Santa Monica to West Covina · Santa Monica to Burbank · Santa Monica to Glendale · Santa Monica to Santa Clarita · Santa Monica to Van Nuys · Santa Monica to Torrance · Santa Monica to Culver City · Santa Monica to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	49	60	59	54	52	52	55	59	69	82	83	79	75	56	51	49
Tue	48	49	57	69	66	56	55	58	93	120	145	165	148	106	72	55	48
Wed	48	49	59	68	66	55	53	59	89	134	171	152	145	112	76	60	49
Thu	48	49	56	65	61	54	56	65	78	127	142	120	108	91	79	65	49
Fri	47	49	51	58	54	52	55	75	108	118	102	82	78	80	68	62	50
Sat	48	48	47	48	49	51	53	58	62	66	69	65	62	55	53	53	49
Sun	48	48	48	49	49	50	51	53	56	56	56	54	54	52	52	52	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	49	60	59	54	52	52	55	59	69	82	83	79	75	56	51	49
Tue	48	49	57	69	66	56	55	58	93	120	145	165	148	106	72	55	48
Wed	48	49	59	68	66	55	53	59	89	134	171	152	145	112	76	60	49
Thu	48	49	56	65	61	54	56	65	78	127	142	120	108	91	79	65	49
Fri	47	49	51	58	54	52	55	75	108	118	102	82	78	80	68	62	50
Sat	48	48	47	48	49	51	53	58	62	66	69	65	62	55	53	53	49
Sun	48	48	48	49	49	50	51	53	56	56	56	54	54	52	52	52	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	49	60	59	54	52	52	55	59	69	82	83	79	75	56	51	49
Tue	48	49	57	69	66	56	55	58	93	120	145	165	148	106	72	55	48
Wed	48	49	59	68	66	55	53	59	89	134	171	152	145	112	76	60	49
Thu	48	49	56	65	61	54	56	65	78	127	142	120	108	91	79	65	49
Fri	47	49	51	58	54	52	55	75	108	118	102	82	78	80	68	62	50
Sat	48	48	47	48	49	51	53	58	62	66	69	65	62	55	53	53	49
Sun	48	48	48	49	49	50	51	53	56	56	56	54	54	52	52	52	49