Best Time to Drive from Whittier to Irvine

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 37 minutes via I-5 South, usually 38 at this time.

None 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 Whittier 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	33	36	50	57	47	38	37	36	37	36	41	40	43	36	34	34	34
Tue	33	38	59	71	48	41	37	37	37	37	42	47	53	44	36	34	34
Wed	33	38	57	62	51	39	37	37	37	37	43	50	58	45	36	34	33
Thu	33	37	57	59	47	44	38	38	39	38	51	61	60	43	35	34	34
Fri	33	37	43	42	38	37	38	36	41	46	58	55	62	54	42	35	34
Sat	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	39	40	40	45	37	34	34	34
Sun	33	34	34	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	35	35	36	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Whittier to Irvine (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 71 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 19 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (17 to 41 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Whittier (Painter Avenue) 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 Whittier to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 71 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 29-mile drive usually takes 33 to 71 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Whittier to Irvine?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 71 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles)

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

More drives

Irvine to Whittier (return trip) · Whittier to Santa Monica · Whittier to Long Beach · Whittier to West Covina · Whittier to Burbank · Whittier to Santa Clarita · Whittier to Van Nuys · Whittier to Torrance · Whittier to LAX · Whittier to Culver City · Whittier to Thousand Oaks · Whittier to Oxnard

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	36	50	57	47	38	37	36	37	36	41	40	43	36	34	34	34
Tue	33	38	59	71	48	41	37	37	37	37	42	47	53	44	36	34	34
Wed	33	38	57	62	51	39	37	37	37	37	43	50	58	45	36	34	33
Thu	33	37	57	59	47	44	38	38	39	38	51	61	60	43	35	34	34
Fri	33	37	43	42	38	37	38	36	41	46	58	55	62	54	42	35	34
Sat	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	39	40	40	45	37	34	34	34
Sun	33	34	34	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	35	35	36	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	36	50	57	47	38	37	36	37	36	41	40	43	36	34	34	34
Tue	33	38	59	71	48	41	37	37	37	37	42	47	53	44	36	34	34
Wed	33	38	57	62	51	39	37	37	37	37	43	50	58	45	36	34	33
Thu	33	37	57	59	47	44	38	38	39	38	51	61	60	43	35	34	34
Fri	33	37	43	42	38	37	38	36	41	46	58	55	62	54	42	35	34
Sat	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	39	40	40	45	37	34	34	34
Sun	33	34	34	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	35	35	36	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	36	50	57	47	38	37	36	37	36	41	40	43	36	34	34	34
Tue	33	38	59	71	48	41	37	37	37	37	42	47	53	44	36	34	34
Wed	33	38	57	62	51	39	37	37	37	37	43	50	58	45	36	34	33
Thu	33	37	57	59	47	44	38	38	39	38	51	61	60	43	35	34	34
Fri	33	37	43	42	38	37	38	36	41	46	58	55	62	54	42	35	34
Sat	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	39	40	40	45	37	34	34	34
Sun	33	34	34	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	36	36	35	35	36	34