Origin
Irvine, CA
Late night in Irvine on Sunday
Local time
12:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Irvine, CA to Newport Beach, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
13 mi
21 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Fair
4 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Irvine, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Newport Beach, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 13-mile drive from Irvine to Newport Beach, California, will take you about 17 minutes. It's a quick hop within the Pacific Coast region, so you won't be transitioning between vastly different landscapes. With a low fuel cost estimated at $3, this trip is incredibly budget-friendly. Given its brief duration and minimal cost, this route is perfectly suited for a single day trip, requiring no overnight stays. Expect a turn-heavy local drive that's more about navigating city streets than open highway.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Costa Mesa Freeway | 3.5 mi | 3m |
| Newport Boulevard | 2 mi | 3m |
| Jeffrey Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Via Lido | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Via Oporto | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 5.6 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Irvine, CA and Newport Beach, CA.
1
Start on I 405
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
San Diego Freeway
2
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 4
Toward University Drive, Jeffrey Road
3
Turn left onto Jeffrey Road
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Jeffrey Road
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 405 North: Los Angeles
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 405
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 9A
Toward CA 55 South, CA 55 North: Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
38 sec
Toward CA 55 South
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Toward CA 55: Costa Mesa Freeway, Newport Beach
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto CA 55
3.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Costa Mesa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on CA 55
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Newport Boulevard
Use the left / uturn / straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on CA 55
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
Newport Boulevard
12
Turn left onto Via Lido
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Via Lido
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto Via Oporto
422 ft
·
46 sec
·
Via Oporto
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
Via Oporto
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 13 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward University Drive, Jeffrey Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 4
Toward University Drive, Jeffrey Road
8
6.3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward CA 55 South, CA 55 North: Freeway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 9A
Toward CA 55 South, CA 55 North: Freeway
7
6.5 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 55 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 55 South
8
7.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 55: Costa Mesa Freeway, Newport Beach
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward CA 55: Costa Mesa Freeway, Newport Beach
7
13 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Via Oporto
Turn left onto Via Oporto
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.99 one way
$5.98 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $3.08 | $6.16 |
| premium | $6.18 | $3.16 | $6.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.87 | $5.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $0.62 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.14 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.82 | $0.83 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Newport Beach, CA
Late night in Newport Beach on Sunday
Local time
12:59 AM
PDT
Current temp
73°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
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
17m 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 is a 'turn-heavy local drive' with 0% highway share, meaning you'll be navigating surface streets for the entire 13 miles. There's no 'longest stretch' of uninterrupted driving to speak of; instead, anticipate a series of turns and intersections as you make your way. The route primarily utilizes University Drive and Jeffrey Road before connecting to I-405 North for a brief portion. The character of the drive is consistent: urban navigation with frequent changes in direction.
69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on San Diego Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and Costa Mesa Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 13 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting 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.
Arriving in Newport Beach, CA
Full guide →Newport Beach is a city famous for its lavish lifestyle and beautiful surroundings. Television enthusiasts will recognize the resemblance to the show The O.C., and not just by virtue of its location in Orange County, California. The American city has its share of "beautiful people" often with wealth to spare. Yet it's very possible to enjoy life in Newport Beach amongst the millionaires on a relatively low budget.
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 17m. Total distance: 13 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.6 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 Newport Beach, 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: at 1.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Newport Beach, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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