Origin
Pomona, CA
Late night in Pomona on Tuesday
Local time
3:40 AM
PDT
Current temp
52°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pomona, 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
42m
Distance
35 mi
56 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pomona, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Irvine, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Pomona, CA to Irvine, CA is 35 miles and takes about 42m via Orange Freeway/Costa Mesa Freeway, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within California's Pacific Coast region, making it a convenient hop between two well-trafficked Southern California areas. Most of the drive is on the highway, so expect a straightforward commute rather than a scenic adventure. It's a quick connection perfect for a same-day trip, whether you're heading to a new destination or returning home.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Freeway | 18.4 mi | 21m |
| Costa Mesa Freeway | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| West Mission Boulevard | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| San Diego Freeway | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Santa Ana Freeway | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Pomona Freeway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| West Temple Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Orange Freeway
— 18.4 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pomona, CA and Irvine, CA.
1
Start on South Main Street
90 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Main Street
2
Turn right onto West Mission Boulevard
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
West Mission Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn right onto West Temple Avenue
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
West Temple Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward CA 57 South, CA 60 West
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Merge onto CA 57
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto CA 60; CA 57
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Pomona Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57
405 ft
·
5 sec
·
Orange Freeway
Toward CA 57 South, CA 60 Alt West: Santa Ana, Brea Canyon Road
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 57
0.8 mi
·
56 sec
·
Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57
14 mi
·
16 min
·
Orange Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1A
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Use the straight lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
12 sec
Toward I 5 South
14
Merge onto I 5
0.8 mi
·
54 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
0.8 mi
·
52 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
16
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 103
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Merge onto CA 55
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Costa Mesa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 6B
Toward I 405 South: John Wayne Airport
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
Toward I 405 South
21
Merge onto I 405
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Arrive at destination
I 405
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 31.5 — 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
|
West Mission Boulevard
Turn right onto West Mission Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
7 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
CA 57 / Orange Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 57 / Orange Freeway toward CA 57 South, CA 60 Alt West: Santa Ana, Brea Canyon Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward CA 57 South, CA 60 Alt West: Santa Ana,...
8
23.4 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Exit 1A
Toward I 5 South: Santa Ana
7
27.4 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 103
Toward CA 55 South: Newport Beach
7
31.5 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward I 405 South: John Wayne Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward I 405 South: John Wayne Airport
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.04 one way
$16.09 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.29 | $16.58 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.51 | $17.02 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.73 | $15.46 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.2 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 | 10.5 | 0 | $3.68 | $1.68 |
| Efficient EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14 | 0 | $4.90 | $2.24 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Late night in Irvine on Tuesday
Local time
3:40 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
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
42m 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 mostly highway, with 82% of the drive on freeways. You'll experience a stretch of 18.4 miles on the Orange Freeway before transitioning to surface streets. Expect frequent exits and merging traffic typical of urban and suburban Southern California driving. The latter part of the trip on the Costa Mesa Freeway will feel very similar to the initial highway segment.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.4 mi on Orange Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Orange Freeway and Costa Mesa Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Mission Boulevard.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 20 decision points packed into just 35 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Mission Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles (CA 57 / Orange Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Pomona, CA
Full guide →Founded 1888
Pomona is in the San Gabriel Valley, near Los Angeles, California. Named after the Roman goddess of fruit, in the 1920s it was indeed known as "the Queen of the Citrus Belt." However, its origins preceded that epoch as an allotment given to two ranchers, Ricardo Véjar and Ygnacio Palomares, in the 1830s, when the territory was still part of Mexico. After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and becoming part of the USA, it eventually became absorbed into the megalopolis of southern California, with perhaps its main standout nowadays being the site of the LA County Fair, or the location of Cal Polytechnic U.
Top landmarks
- • Pomona Fox Theater — movie theater in Pomona, Los Angeles County, California
- • Ygnacio Palomares Adobe — historic house in California, United States
- • Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum — automotive museum in 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 42m. Total distance: 35 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.4 miles on Orange 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 (West Mission Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles (CA 57 / Orange Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.4 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 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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