Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to Irvine

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 75 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 74 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 Van Nuys 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	57	65	78	75	64	63	66	67	71	75	97	111	101	87	68	59	55
Tue	54	68	88	84	67	63	65	67	68	78	107	122	109	93	74	63	54
Wed	53	66	92	86	70	64	65	67	67	81	93	105	99	88	74	64	54
Thu	54	65	88	86	69	69	71	73	77	87	110	124	111	95	71	62	56
Fri	54	62	78	77	69	66	67	69	79	99	116	110	111	92	72	65	55
Sat	55	56	57	60	64	63	69	70	74	80	87	80	78	68	63	65	56
Sun	54	54	54	56	58	62	63	68	69	73	71	70	68	67	66	67	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 56-mile drive from Van Nuys to Irvine (via I-5 South and US-101 South) usually takes as little as 53 minutes and up to 124 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 72 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (87 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (11 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Van Nuys (Haynes Street) 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 Van Nuys to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 53 minutes then, versus up to 124 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Van Nuys to Irvine?

The 56-mile drive usually takes 53 to 124 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 72 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Van Nuys to Irvine?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 124 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (24 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-170 South in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

More drives

Irvine to Van Nuys (return trip) · Van Nuys to Los Angeles · Van Nuys to Santa Monica · Van Nuys to Pasadena · Van Nuys to Long Beach · Van Nuys to West Covina · Van Nuys to Glendale · Van Nuys to Santa Clarita · Van Nuys to Torrance · Van Nuys to LAX · Van Nuys to Culver City · Van Nuys 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	57	65	78	75	64	63	66	67	71	75	97	111	101	87	68	59	55
Tue	54	68	88	84	67	63	65	67	68	78	107	122	109	93	74	63	54
Wed	53	66	92	86	70	64	65	67	67	81	93	105	99	88	74	64	54
Thu	54	65	88	86	69	69	71	73	77	87	110	124	111	95	71	62	56
Fri	54	62	78	77	69	66	67	69	79	99	116	110	111	92	72	65	55
Sat	55	56	57	60	64	63	69	70	74	80	87	80	78	68	63	65	56
Sun	54	54	54	56	58	62	63	68	69	73	71	70	68	67	66	67	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	65	78	75	64	63	66	67	71	75	97	111	101	87	68	59	55
Tue	54	68	88	84	67	63	65	67	68	78	107	122	109	93	74	63	54
Wed	53	66	92	86	70	64	65	67	67	81	93	105	99	88	74	64	54
Thu	54	65	88	86	69	69	71	73	77	87	110	124	111	95	71	62	56
Fri	54	62	78	77	69	66	67	69	79	99	116	110	111	92	72	65	55
Sat	55	56	57	60	64	63	69	70	74	80	87	80	78	68	63	65	56
Sun	54	54	54	56	58	62	63	68	69	73	71	70	68	67	66	67	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	65	78	75	64	63	66	67	71	75	97	111	101	87	68	59	55
Tue	54	68	88	84	67	63	65	67	68	78	107	122	109	93	74	63	54
Wed	53	66	92	86	70	64	65	67	67	81	93	105	99	88	74	64	54
Thu	54	65	88	86	69	69	71	73	77	87	110	124	111	95	71	62	56
Fri	54	62	78	77	69	66	67	69	79	99	116	110	111	92	72	65	55
Sat	55	56	57	60	64	63	69	70	74	80	87	80	78	68	63	65	56
Sun	54	54	54	56	58	62	63	68	69	73	71	70	68	67	66	67	58