Best Time to Drive from Van Nuys to Irvine

Right now (3:35 pm PST): about 92 minutes via I-5 South and US-101 South, usually 112 at this time.

Only 28% 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	56	65	79	76	64	63	66	67	71	74	96	111	102	88	68	59	55
Tue	54	67	89	85	67	64	65	66	68	80	106	123	111	95	78	62	54
Wed	53	65	91	85	70	63	64	65	67	75	84	98	90	79	72	63	55
Thu	53	64	87	84	68	67	70	71	75	86	107	120	111	96	71	62	56
Fri	54	62	77	75	68	65	67	69	79	98	114	111	114	93	74	66	56
Sat	55	56	57	60	63	65	69	71	73	77	80	77	78	70	65	65	57
Sun	55	54	55	56	58	62	64	70	70	73	71	70	70	68	68	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 123 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 71 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (80 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 123 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 123 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 71 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Van Nuys to Irvine?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 123 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

Van Nuys to Irvine over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

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	56	65	79	76	64	63	66	67	71	74	96	111	102	88	68	59	55
Tue	54	67	89	85	67	64	65	66	68	80	106	123	111	95	78	62	54
Wed	53	65	91	85	70	63	64	65	67	75	84	98	90	79	72	63	55
Thu	53	64	87	84	68	67	70	71	75	86	107	120	111	96	71	62	56
Fri	54	62	77	75	68	65	67	69	79	98	114	111	114	93	74	66	56
Sat	55	56	57	60	63	65	69	71	73	77	80	77	78	70	65	65	57
Sun	55	54	55	56	58	62	64	70	70	73	71	70	70	68	68	67	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	65	79	76	64	63	66	67	71	74	96	111	102	88	68	59	55
Tue	54	67	89	85	67	64	65	66	68	80	106	123	111	95	78	62	54
Wed	53	65	91	85	70	63	64	65	67	75	84	98	90	79	72	63	55
Thu	53	64	87	84	68	67	70	71	75	86	107	120	111	96	71	62	56
Fri	54	62	77	75	68	65	67	69	79	98	114	111	114	93	74	66	56
Sat	55	56	57	60	63	65	69	71	73	77	80	77	78	70	65	65	57
Sun	55	54	55	56	58	62	64	70	70	73	71	70	70	68	68	67	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	65	79	76	64	63	66	67	71	74	96	111	102	88	68	59	55
Tue	54	67	89	85	67	64	65	66	68	80	106	123	111	95	78	62	54
Wed	53	65	91	85	70	63	64	65	67	75	84	98	90	79	72	63	55
Thu	53	64	87	84	68	67	70	71	75	86	107	120	111	96	71	62	56
Fri	54	62	77	75	68	65	67	69	79	98	114	111	114	93	74	66	56
Sat	55	56	57	60	63	65	69	71	73	77	80	77	78	70	65	65	57
Sun	55	54	55	56	58	62	64	70	70	73	71	70	70	68	68	67	58