Best Time to Drive from Valencia to Irvine

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 90 minutes via I-5 South, usually 90 at this time.

Only 12% 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 Valencia 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	70	89	107	100	85	83	81	82	84	92	101	110	100	90	76	71	68
Tue	68	111	144	122	101	89	84	85	87	98	117	123	107	96	81	74	69
Wed	67	91	107	102	97	87	85	84	87	98	103	114	104	95	81	75	67
Thu	70	98	127	116	95	89	86	89	90	104	113	118	115	99	77	75	68
Fri	68	86	96	92	86	83	87	89	102	113	114	111	112	94	81	77	72
Sat	69	72	73	76	81	83	87	89	96	97	98	91	91	85	81	77	68
Sun	68	68	69	69	72	77	80	84	85	87	86	85	82	83	81	79	70

About this drive

On weekdays the 77-mile drive from Valencia to Irvine (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 67 minutes and up to 144 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 90 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (98 minutes).

About 76 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 Valencia 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 Valencia to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 67 minutes then, versus up to 144 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 77-mile drive usually takes 67 to 144 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 90 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Valencia to Irvine?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 144 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (51 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (18 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

Valencia to Los Angeles · Valencia to Long Beach · Valencia to Bakersfield · Valencia to Anaheim · Valencia to Santa Ana · Valencia to Huntington Beach · Valencia to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	89	107	100	85	83	81	82	84	92	101	110	100	90	76	71	68
Tue	68	111	144	122	101	89	84	85	87	98	117	123	107	96	81	74	69
Wed	67	91	107	102	97	87	85	84	87	98	103	114	104	95	81	75	67
Thu	70	98	127	116	95	89	86	89	90	104	113	118	115	99	77	75	68
Fri	68	86	96	92	86	83	87	89	102	113	114	111	112	94	81	77	72
Sat	69	72	73	76	81	83	87	89	96	97	98	91	91	85	81	77	68
Sun	68	68	69	69	72	77	80	84	85	87	86	85	82	83	81	79	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	89	107	100	85	83	81	82	84	92	101	110	100	90	76	71	68
Tue	68	111	144	122	101	89	84	85	87	98	117	123	107	96	81	74	69
Wed	67	91	107	102	97	87	85	84	87	98	103	114	104	95	81	75	67
Thu	70	98	127	116	95	89	86	89	90	104	113	118	115	99	77	75	68
Fri	68	86	96	92	86	83	87	89	102	113	114	111	112	94	81	77	72
Sat	69	72	73	76	81	83	87	89	96	97	98	91	91	85	81	77	68
Sun	68	68	69	69	72	77	80	84	85	87	86	85	82	83	81	79	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	89	107	100	85	83	81	82	84	92	101	110	100	90	76	71	68
Tue	68	111	144	122	101	89	84	85	87	98	117	123	107	96	81	74	69
Wed	67	91	107	102	97	87	85	84	87	98	103	114	104	95	81	75	67
Thu	70	98	127	116	95	89	86	89	90	104	113	118	115	99	77	75	68
Fri	68	86	96	92	86	83	87	89	102	113	114	111	112	94	81	77	72
Sat	69	72	73	76	81	83	87	89	96	97	98	91	91	85	81	77	68
Sun	68	68	69	69	72	77	80	84	85	87	86	85	82	83	81	79	70