Best Time to Drive from UC Irvine to Riverside

Right now (6:50 pm PDT): about 52 minutes via SR-91 East and SR-261 North, usually 46 at this time.

Only 29% 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 UC Irvine to Riverside 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	39	40	43	44	43	42	42	43	44	47	52	53	55	47	44	42	39
Tue	39	40	46	45	44	43	43	43	44	49	55	55	56	50	45	44	40
Wed	39	41	45	46	42	42	42	43	44	49	51	52	55	49	44	43	40
Thu	39	40	44	44	42	42	43	43	45	48	54	56	56	49	45	42	39
Fri	39	40	41	43	42	43	43	45	50	53	58	58	56	52	46	43	39
Sat	39	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	43	44	45	46	46	45	44	42	39
Sun	39	39	40	39	40	40	41	41	41	42	42	42	41	41	41	42	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 42-mile drive from UC Irvine to Riverside (via SR-91 East and SR-261 North) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 59 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (46 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central UC Irvine to central Riverside 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 UC Irvine to Riverside?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 59 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 42-mile drive usually takes 39 to 59 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from UC Irvine to Riverside?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 59 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 East in Orange County (20 miles) · SR-261 North in Orange County (8 miles) · SR-241 North in Orange County (7 miles) · SR-91 East in Inland Empire (1.1 miles)

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

More drives

Riverside to UC Irvine (return trip) · UC Irvine to Los Angeles · UC Irvine to Long Beach · UC Irvine to Torrance

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	40	43	44	43	42	42	43	44	47	52	53	55	47	44	42	39
Tue	39	40	46	45	44	43	43	43	44	49	55	55	56	50	45	44	40
Wed	39	41	45	46	42	42	42	43	44	49	51	52	55	49	44	43	40
Thu	39	40	44	44	42	42	43	43	45	48	54	56	56	49	45	42	39
Fri	39	40	41	43	42	43	43	45	50	53	58	58	56	52	46	43	39
Sat	39	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	43	44	45	46	46	45	44	42	39
Sun	39	39	40	39	40	40	41	41	41	42	42	42	41	41	41	42	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	40	43	44	43	42	42	43	44	47	52	53	55	47	44	42	39
Tue	39	40	46	45	44	43	43	43	44	49	55	55	56	50	45	44	40
Wed	39	41	45	46	42	42	42	43	44	49	51	52	55	49	44	43	40
Thu	39	40	44	44	42	42	43	43	45	48	54	56	56	49	45	42	39
Fri	39	40	41	43	42	43	43	45	50	53	58	58	56	52	46	43	39
Sat	39	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	43	44	45	46	46	45	44	42	39
Sun	39	39	40	39	40	40	41	41	41	42	42	42	41	41	41	42	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	40	43	44	43	42	42	43	44	47	52	53	55	47	44	42	39
Tue	39	40	46	45	44	43	43	43	44	49	55	55	56	50	45	44	40
Wed	39	41	45	46	42	42	42	43	44	49	51	52	55	49	44	43	40
Thu	39	40	44	44	42	42	43	43	45	48	54	56	56	49	45	42	39
Fri	39	40	41	43	42	43	43	45	50	53	58	58	56	52	46	43	39
Sat	39	40	40	40	41	41	42	42	43	44	45	46	46	45	44	42	39
Sun	39	39	40	39	40	40	41	41	41	42	42	42	41	41	41	42	39