Origin
Willowbrook, CA
Morning in Willowbrook on Sunday
Local time
10:07 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Willowbrook, CA to Irvine, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
35.8 mi
58 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Willowbrook, CA
Robert So
Irvine, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Willowbrook, CA to Irvine, CA is 35.8 miles and takes about 44 minutes via San Diego Freeway and I-405, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused drive that keeps you within the Pacific Coast region for its entirety. It's a short trip, ideal for a quick commute or a seamless transition between Southern California locations. You'll find the journey efficient, making it a practical choice for getting from point A to point B without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 16.6 mi | 19m |
| I 405 | 10.3 mi | 11m |
| South Alameda Street | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| North Central Avenue | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Gardena Freeway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| East 223rd Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| West Artesia Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 16.6 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Willowbrook, CA and Irvine, CA.
1
Start on this road
199 ft
·
16 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto North Central Avenue
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
North Central Avenue
3
Turn left onto West Artesia Boulevard
133 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Artesia Boulevard
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward CA 91 East
5
Merge onto CA 91
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Gardena Freeway
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Exit 10B
Toward Alameda Street
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn right onto CA 47
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
South Alameda Street
Use the left lane.
8
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
Use the left lane.
9
At end of road, turn right onto East 223rd Street
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
East 223rd Street
Use the left lane.
10
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Use the left lane.
11
Merge onto I 405
9.2 mi
·
10 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
0.2 mi
·
11 sec
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
10 mi
·
11 min
·
I 405
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 405
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Arrive at destination
I 405
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 3.1 and 8.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.1 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
West Artesia Boulevard
Turn left onto West Artesia Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
4.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward Alameda Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 10B
Toward Alameda Street
6
5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
CA 47 / South Alameda Street
Turn right onto CA 47 / South Alameda Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
8.6 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
East 223rd Street
At end of road, turn right onto East 223rd Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
8.7 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the ramp toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.23 one way
$16.46 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $8.48 | $16.96 |
| premium | $6.18 | $8.71 | $17.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.90 | $15.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.76 | $1.72 |
| Efficient EV | 9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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 Sunday
Local time
10:07 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Mostly Cloudy
0 mph
0% chance
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
16 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
44m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
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 78% of the journey on freeways like the San Diego Freeway and I-405. Expect a consistent pace for much of the 44-minute trip, including a longest stretch of 16.6 miles on the San Diego Freeway without significant interruptions. The drive is characterized by its smooth, high-speed sections, allowing for efficient travel. While primarily freeway, minor changes in road conditions can occur as you approach your destination in Irvine.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.6 mi on San Diego Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 around 3.1 miles in near West Artesia 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 14 decision points packed into just 35.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.1 miles (West Artesia Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles (CA 47 / South Alameda Street): Lane positioning matters here.
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 44m. Total distance: 35.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.6 miles on San Diego Freeway. 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 3.1 miles (West Artesia Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5 miles (CA 47 / South Alameda Street): 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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