Origin
Inglewood, CA
Morning in Inglewood on Tuesday
Local time
8:18 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Inglewood, CA to Irvine, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
51m
Distance
41.5 mi
67 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 49m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Inglewood, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Irvine, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Inglewood, CA to Irvine, CA is 41.5 miles and takes about 51 minutes via the San Diego Freeway, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This largely highway-focused drive keeps you within the Pacific Coast region for its entirety, connecting two Southern California locales. Expect a straightforward commute that's ideal for a quick trip, whether you're heading south for business or leisure. With minimal stops suggested and a short duration, this route is easily managed within a single day.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 25.7 mi | 29m |
| I 405 | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| Hawthorne Boulevard | 4.2 mi | 7m |
| South La Brea Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| East Manchester Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 25.7 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Inglewood, CA and Irvine, CA.
1
Start on East Manchester Boulevard
64 ft
·
8 sec
·
East Manchester Boulevard
2
Turn left onto South La Brea Avenue
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
South La Brea Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto South La Brea Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South La Brea Avenue
Use the right lane.
4
Continue on Hawthorne Boulevard
4.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Hawthorne Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
Toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto I 405
18 mi
·
21 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
0.2 mi
·
11 sec
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
10 mi
·
11 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Arrive at destination
I 405
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 41.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.7 miles from Inglewood, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
South La Brea Avenue
Turn left onto South La Brea Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
5.4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the ramp toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 405 South: Long Beach
6
23.8 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
26 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
26.2 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
I 405
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.54 one way
$19.08 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $9.83 | $19.66 |
| premium | $6.18 | $10.09 | $20.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.16 | $18.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.36 | $1.99 |
| Efficient EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.63 | $1.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.6 | 0 | $5.81 | $2.66 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Irvine, CA
Morning in Irvine on Tuesday
Local time
8:18 AM
PDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
13 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
51m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 87% of the journey utilizing freeways. You'll spend most of your time on the San Diego Freeway (I-405), experiencing a consistent pace for extended periods. The longest uninterrupted stretch measures 25.7 miles on this main artery, offering a smooth, albeit predictable, driving experience. While Hawthorne Boulevard is part of the route, the majority of your time will be spent on the faster, more direct freeway segments.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.7 mi on San Diego Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and I 405. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near South La Brea Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 41.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (South La Brea Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 23.8 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Inglewood, CA
Full guide →Founded 1888
Inglewood is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California. Sandwiched between South Los Angeles and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), it is a somewhat impoverished area. Though there isn't much for a tourist to see other than sporting events, there are some excellent eats here and a number of chain motels taking advantage of the city's proximity to LAX. Inglewood is the location of the SoFi Stadium (football, World Cup, Olympics), Intuit Dome (basketball, Olympics) and Kia Forum (concerts).
Top landmarks
- • Kia Forum — multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States
Arriving in Irvine, CA
Full guide →Founded 1971
Irvine is a city of 308,000 people (2020) in Orange County, California. Irvine is one of the newest and largest cities in Orange County, and it is still growing. The city is a perfectly planned suburbia. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 1971.
Top landmarks
- • Pretend City Children's Museum — children's Museum in California, U.S.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 41.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.7 miles on San Diego Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Irvine, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (South La Brea Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 23.8 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Irvine, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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