Best Time to Drive from Sylmar to Irvine

Right now (6:06 pm PST): about 99 minutes via I-5 South and I-210 East, usually 88 at this time.

Only 34% 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 Sylmar 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	61	76	91	89	76	72	72	73	75	80	91	103	94	83	70	64	61
Tue	60	79	103	98	83	78	74	74	75	86	102	117	100	88	75	68	60
Wed	59	77	102	99	87	78	74	74	75	83	88	98	88	79	73	68	61
Thu	60	77	100	98	86	80	78	79	80	92	104	110	100	90	72	69	62
Fri	60	73	85	85	77	73	75	78	85	101	104	104	104	89	75	71	62
Sat	61	63	64	66	68	71	73	76	80	82	82	80	80	76	71	70	62
Sun	60	62	62	62	63	67	70	76	76	79	75	76	74	74	72	71	61

About this drive

On weekdays the 68-mile drive from Sylmar to Irvine (via I-5 South and I-210 East) usually takes as little as 59 minutes and up to 117 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 78 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (82 minutes).

About 67 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.3 miles surface streets (1 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sylmar to central 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 Sylmar to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 59 minutes then, versus up to 117 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 68-mile drive usually takes 59 to 117 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 78 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sylmar to Irvine?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 117 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (18 miles) · I-210 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · SR-2 West in Los Angeles (8 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (4 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

Irvine to Sylmar (return trip) · Sylmar to Los Angeles · Sylmar to Long Beach · Sylmar to Anaheim · Sylmar to Riverside · Sylmar to Santa Ana · Sylmar to San Bernardino · Sylmar to Fontana · Sylmar to Oxnard · Sylmar to Huntington Beach · Sylmar to Glendale · Sylmar to Santa Clarita

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	61	76	91	89	76	72	72	73	75	80	91	103	94	83	70	64	61
Tue	60	79	103	98	83	78	74	74	75	86	102	117	100	88	75	68	60
Wed	59	77	102	99	87	78	74	74	75	83	88	98	88	79	73	68	61
Thu	60	77	100	98	86	80	78	79	80	92	104	110	100	90	72	69	62
Fri	60	73	85	85	77	73	75	78	85	101	104	104	104	89	75	71	62
Sat	61	63	64	66	68	71	73	76	80	82	82	80	80	76	71	70	62
Sun	60	62	62	62	63	67	70	76	76	79	75	76	74	74	72	71	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	61	76	91	89	76	72	72	73	75	80	91	103	94	83	70	64	61
Tue	60	79	103	98	83	78	74	74	75	86	102	117	100	88	75	68	60
Wed	59	77	102	99	87	78	74	74	75	83	88	98	88	79	73	68	61
Thu	60	77	100	98	86	80	78	79	80	92	104	110	100	90	72	69	62
Fri	60	73	85	85	77	73	75	78	85	101	104	104	104	89	75	71	62
Sat	61	63	64	66	68	71	73	76	80	82	82	80	80	76	71	70	62
Sun	60	62	62	62	63	67	70	76	76	79	75	76	74	74	72	71	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	61	76	91	89	76	72	72	73	75	80	91	103	94	83	70	64	61
Tue	60	79	103	98	83	78	74	74	75	86	102	117	100	88	75	68	60
Wed	59	77	102	99	87	78	74	74	75	83	88	98	88	79	73	68	61
Thu	60	77	100	98	86	80	78	79	80	92	104	110	100	90	72	69	62
Fri	60	73	85	85	77	73	75	78	85	101	104	104	104	89	75	71	62
Sat	61	63	64	66	68	71	73	76	80	82	82	80	80	76	71	70	62
Sun	60	62	62	62	63	67	70	76	76	79	75	76	74	74	72	71	61