commutes in orange county (Long Beach, Santa Ana: neighborhood, high schools, pharmacies)

[nouni7]

Hi there, I am preparing a move to Orange County and have heard all the horror stories about the traffic there. However it seems like it depends on the time of the day and/or where you're going?
Could you help me out with the following commute times:

- Irvine to the beach (any beach)
mid week (mid day):
week ends:

- Irvine to the mountains, week ends:

- Irvine to Mission Viejo, rush hour:

- Irvine to Long Beach:
non rush hour (google maps says 35 mins, is that realistic?):
please also define what time you'd have to leave (early option and late option) to avoid the rush

Irvine to Palm springs, rush hour:

Finally within Irvine itself: I have heard contradicting information on that. Some people say traffic is light, some people talk about 45 minutes to go one mile... where is the discrepancy coming from?

Thanks! I am trying to get a feel for the traffic there...

[Joe Van Fossen]

Originally Posted by nouni7

Hi there, I am preparing a move to Orange County and have heard all the horror stories about the traffic there. However it seems like it depends on the time of the day and/or where you're going?
Could you help me out with the following commute times:

- Irvine to the beach (any beach)
mid week (mid day):
week ends:

- Irvine to the mountains, week ends:

- Irvine to Mission Viejo, rush hour:

- Irvine to Long Beach:
non rush hour (google maps says 35 mins, is that realistic?):
please also define what time you'd have to leave (early option and late option) to avoid the rush

Irvine to Palm springs, rush hour:

Finally within Irvine itself: I have heard contradicting information on that. Some people say traffic is light, some people talk about 45 minutes to go one mile... where is the discrepancy coming from?

Thanks! I am trying to get a feel for the traffic there...

A lot of this would depend on where in Irvine you're actually living. Mid day, mid week to Laguna Beach would probably take about 15-20 minutes via the 133.

Irvine to Irvine lake or the limestone canyon areas, which are the closest mountains I can think of, would take about 20-40 minutes on the weekend.

Irvine to Mission Viejo during rush hour is heavy for a patch. It would take about 25-30 minutes on an average day, about 40 minutes on a heavier day or if there's a minor accident. If you avoid the freeway altogether, it'll take about 40 minutes or so on the side streets.

Irvine to Long Beach would take about 35-40 minutes non-rush hour. To avoid rush hour, 9:45AM to 3PM and 7:45PM+.

I've never done the trip from Irvine to Palm Springs, but google maps estimates 1hr 40mins in current traffic, which would be rush hour. I would say 2 hours to be safe.

I used to travel, in rush hour, from the Oak Creek area to Technology Dr for work every day. It was about a 3.5 mile trip that took 10 minutes. I also drove from the Northwood area to the same workplace for several months--7 miles and 15 minutes. It can get a little heavy on the streets, but I don't remember driving slower than the speed limit for most of the time. It gets heavier near the freeway on ramps. I can't say that it absolutely isn't true, but it has never taken me 45 minutes to go one mile in Irvine.

[Skylines]

I agree with what Joe Van Fossen says, and I think the biggest takeaway, which JVF states very well, is that estimating drive times anywhere from Irvine depends a great deal on where in Irvine you start. This is a huge city in area (and growing in population, too). For instance, we live in a neighborhood called Turtle Ridge. We picked this area for several reasons, but high on this list is its proximity to school and family in Newport Beach/Newport Coast. We're also minutes from Crystal Cove. But, when we have to get to areas near mountains or Mission Viejo, it can take a while. If we were outdoors types who want to get to the mountains often, we'd probably select Orchard Hills or Portola Springs.

I've commuted to L.A. for nearly 10 years, so I've earned my stripes on the freeways, and I can tell you that planning and timing are key, just as they are anywhere you live. Just as "Irvine" is a broad concept, so is "rush hour." The roads often are full, but, except for peak hours when it's absolutely choked, it does move -- just not always as fast as we'd like. Irvine is a planned area and several surface streets are arteries with higher speed limits and greater capacity. These do slow down during peak times, but the degree depends on the hour, where you are and where you're going, just like anywhere else. I will say one thing: Traffic also seems to bog down here during school drop-off and pick-up periods, more than in other places i've lived. Irvine has lots of schools (the reason many people live here) and comparatively very little bus service (since each neighborhood is close to elementary, middle and high schools), so lots of parents drive their kids. On the plus side, Irvine's planning means every neighborhood is close to necessities (groceries, pharmacies, gas stations, restaurants).

The good news is, there really are no "bad" areas of Irvine. It's all safe, the schools are all good, etc. So you can have plenty of options. And, really, no Irvine neighborhood is all that far from the hills or the beach.

[nouni7]

Thanks for all the great info!!

I have heard Irvine to Long Beach is about an hour during rush hour... could any of you confirm?

[socalinnorcal]

Originally Posted by nouni7

Thanks for all the great info!!

I have heard Irvine to Long Beach is about an hour during rush hour... could any of you confirm?

That sounds about right. But if there's an accident..... ... it will be longer!

[Skylines]

Agreed. The spot where the northbound 405 meets the 22 is a choke point -- not all the time, but it seems to happen even when traffic otherwise is lighter. Also, Long Beach is pretty spread out, too, so it depends where you're going in Long Beach.

[Coldjensens]

Accident, rain, wind, pretty girl with a flat tire, fire, trash spilled on the freeway, broken down car, . . . All these and more can add an hour plus to long beach, or other destinations. Friday going out 91 put on an extra 1 to 1.5 hours to Riverside after 3 pm. More on a holiday weekend.

Generally it is not bad anywhere off hours but so many variables can occasionally add 100% or more. I think that is what people complain about. It once took me 4 hours to get through long beach from Newport. I leave 1 hr to get to long beach from santa ana in traffic, 15minutes more if it iz important to be on time. I

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by Skylines

Agreed. The spot where the northbound 405 meets the 22 is a choke point -- not all the time, but it seems to happen even when traffic otherwise is lighter. Also, Long Beach is pretty spread out, too, so it depends where you're going in Long Beach.

Not as bad as the Orange Crush (the triangle in Santa Ana)..

Often times, you'll see the 5 colored red in both directions around 5-6pm in google maps..

[Skylines]

You're right. That's one spot I like to avoid, unless I'm headed to an Angels game or something. Even then, it's time for surface streets.

[nouni7]

Great!

What is the commute from Rancho Santa Margarita to Long Beach?
What about San Clemente to Long Beach?

I tried using google maps, checking for rush hour times, but it doesn't line up with what some people say (for other areas), so I'm not sure it is very reliable... Thanks for all the help!