Origin
Rossmoor, CA
Late night in Rossmoor on Tuesday
Local time
3:39 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rossmoor, 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
24m
Distance
18.9 mi
30 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rossmoor, CA
Stephen Leonardi
Irvine, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Rossmoor to Irvine is 18.9 miles and takes about 24 minutes via I 405, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within California's Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward journey. It's a practical option for quick travel between these two Southern California communities. Expect mostly highway driving, making it an efficient choice if you're looking to minimize travel time. This route is best suited for a single-day trip, allowing you ample time for your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 405 | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| San Diego Freeway | 6.5 mi | 7m |
| Seal Beach Boulevard | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Mainway Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Montecito Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Saint Cloud Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Foster Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Kempton Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 405
— 10.3 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rossmoor, CA and Irvine, CA.
1
Start on Kempton Drive
126 ft
·
7 sec
·
Kempton Drive
2
Turn right onto Foster Road
307 ft
·
17 sec
·
Foster Road
3
Turn left onto Mainway Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Mainway Drive
4
Turn right onto Montecito Road
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Montecito Road
5
Continue on Saint Cloud Drive
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Saint Cloud Drive
6
Turn right onto Seal Beach Boulevard
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Seal Beach Boulevard
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Toward CA 22 East, I 405 South: San Diego, Garden Grove
Use the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 405; CA 22
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
San Diego Freeway
9
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
0.2 mi
·
11 sec
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
10 mi
·
11 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Arrive at destination
I 405
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 14 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Seal Beach Boulevard
Turn right onto Seal Beach Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
1.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward CA 22 East, I 405 South: San Diego, Garden Grove
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward CA 22 East, I 405 South: San Diego, Gard...
6
3.5 mi into trip
|
~7m 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
3.7 mi into trip
|
~7m 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.
6
14 mi into trip
|
~19m 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 / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.34 one way
$8.69 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.48 | $8.95 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.60 | $9.19 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.17 | $8.35 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.98 | $0.91 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.65 | $0.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.65 | $1.21 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
3:39 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
24m 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 highway-focused drive, with 89% of the route utilizing major freeways like the I 405, also known as the San Diego Freeway. You'll experience a consistent pace for most of the journey, with the longest uninterrupted stretch covering 10.3 miles on the I 405. The drive begins and ends on local roads, including Seal Beach Boulevard, before merging onto the freeway. The personality of this route is primarily efficient and direct, minimizing time spent on slower, local streets.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.3 mi on I 405.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 405 and San Diego Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near Seal Beach Boulevard.
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 9 decision points packed into just 18.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (Seal Beach Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Rossmoor, CA to Irvine, CA, road signs begin pointing toward Garden Grove along the way.
Garden Grove
1.7 mi in
|
~4m
About the Cities
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 24m. Total distance: 18.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.3 miles on I 405. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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: at 1.1 miles (Seal Beach Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): 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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