How far is Irvine, CA from Clearlake, CA?
The driving distance from Irvine, CA to Clearlake, CA is about 505.2 miles (813.1 km), with a travel time of about 09h 38m by car.
- The straight-line flight distance is about 452.7 miles (728.5 km).
- For a round trip, plan for roughly 19h 16m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
- A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT.
Reverse, save, or send this route
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.
This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.
Flight Distance
Driving Distance
Gas Cost Calculator
Leave and Arrive Planner
Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.
Drive time stays fixed at 09h 38m.
Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.
Halfway Point
A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.
City in Fresno County, California, United States
Route Weather Snapshot
Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.
Mostly Sunny
Sunny
Driving Route Map
The map below follows the saved road route between Irvine and Clearlake.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Irvine and Clearlake.
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1
Start on San Diego Freeway
1.4 mi · 2 min · San Diego Freeway
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2
Take the exit slight right toward University Drive, Jeffrey Road
1456 ft · 21 sec
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3
Turn left onto Jeffrey Road
951 ft · 22 sec · Jeffrey Road
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4
Take the ramp slight right toward I 405 North: Los Angeles
1228 ft · 18 sec
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5
Merge slight left onto San Diego Freeway
4.2 mi · 5 min · San Diego Freeway
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6
Take the exit slight right toward CA 55 South, CA 55 North: Freeway
1254 ft · 16 sec
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7
Keep slight right to continue on CA 55 North
2685 ft · 35 sec
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8
Merge slight left onto Costa Mesa Freeway
3.2 mi · 4 min · Costa Mesa Freeway
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9
Keep slight right to continue on Costa Mesa Freeway
2136 ft · 28 sec · Costa Mesa Freeway
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10
Take the exit slight right toward I 5 North: Santa Ana
1.1 km · 47 sec
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11
Merge slight left onto Santa Ana Freeway
2756 ft · 36 sec · Santa Ana Freeway
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12
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
1.7 mi · 2 min · Santa Ana Freeway
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13
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
9.4 mi · 11 min · Santa Ana Freeway
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14
Keep slight right to continue on Santa Ana Freeway
18 mi · 21 min · Santa Ana Freeway
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15
Keep slight right to continue on Golden State Freeway
25.5 mi · 30 min · Golden State Freeway
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16
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
2.2 mi · 3 min · Golden State Freeway
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17
Keep slight right to continue on I 5 Truck North, CA 14 Truck
1.5 mi · 2 min
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18
Keep slight left
36.1 mi · 42 min
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19
Keep slight left to continue on Golden State Freeway
22.3 mi · 25 min · Golden State Freeway
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20
Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway
225.6 mi · 4 hr 2 min · Westside Freeway
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21
Keep slight left to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
15.9 mi · 17 min · William Elton Brown Freeway
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22
Keep slight right to continue on William Elton Brown Freeway
1.1 mi · 1 min · William Elton Brown Freeway
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23
Merge slight left onto Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
18 mi · 21 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
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24
Keep slight right to continue on Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
1.6 mi · 2 min · Arthur H. Breed Junior Freeway
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25
Take the exit slight right toward I 680 South, I 680 North: San Jose, Sacramento, Concord, Walnut Creek
857 ft · 16 sec
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26
Keep slight right to continue on I 680 North: Walnut Creek, Concord, Sacramento
1614 ft · 30 sec
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27
Merge slight left onto Donald D Doyle Highway
15.2 mi · 18 min · Donald D Doyle Highway
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28
Continue on Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
5 mi · 6 min · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
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29
Keep slight left to continue on Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
6 mi · 7 min · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
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30
Keep slight left to continue on Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
74 m · 3 sec · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
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31
Keep slight right to continue on Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
1.8 mi · 2 min · Senator Daniel E Boatwright Highway
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32
Keep slight left to continue on I 780: Benicia
6.7 mi · 8 min
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33
Take the exit slight right toward I 80 East: Sacramento
1379 ft · 34 sec
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34
Keep slight left to continue on I 80 East: Sacramento
137 m · 11 sec
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35
Merge slight left onto Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
2.7 mi · 3 min · Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
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36
Take the exit slight right toward CA 37: Napa, Novato, Auto Mall, Columbus Parkway
752 ft · 18 sec
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37
Keep slight left to continue on CA 37: Napa
2517 ft · 1 min
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38
Continue on CA 37
1.5 mi · 2 min
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39
Take the exit slight right toward CA 29: Napa, Sonoma Boulevard
1912 ft · 51 sec
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40
Turn right onto Sonoma Boulevard
1.6 mi · 2 min · Sonoma Boulevard
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41
Continue on Broadway Street
4 mi · 5 min · Broadway Street
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42
Continue on Napa–Vallejo Highway
1.3 mi · 2 min · Napa–Vallejo Highway
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43
Continue on Saint Helena Highway
21.7 mi · 26 min · Saint Helena Highway
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44
Continue on Main Street
2.4 mi · 3 min · Main Street
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45
Continue on Saint Helena Highway
6.8 mi · 8 min · Saint Helena Highway
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46
Turn right onto Lincoln Avenue
1 mi · 2 min · Lincoln Avenue
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47
Continue on Lake County Highway
20.5 mi · 31 min · Lake County Highway
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48
Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward the route
73 m · 4 sec
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49
Exit the roundabout
10.4 mi · 15 min
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50
Continue straight
3.6 mi · 5 min
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51
Turn left onto Polk Avenue
101 m · 18 sec · Polk Avenue
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52
Turn left onto Lincoln Avenue
651 ft · 29 sec · Lincoln Avenue
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53
Continue on Duncan Avenue
850 ft · 37 sec · Duncan Avenue
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54
Arrive at your destination
0 m · 1 sec · Duncan Avenue
Car Route Details
A richer read on the saved driving route between Irvine and Clearlake.
Long-distance drive
This route is long enough that fuel, rest stops, weather, and timing matter more than any single maneuver.
Westside Freeway
Keep slight right to continue on Westside Freeway
226 mi · 04h 02m
Route Summary
A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.
Better with a longer stop
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
Mostly Sunny leaving Irvine and Sunny near Clearlake.
Trip Questions
Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.
How long does it take to drive from Irvine to Clearlake?
The road trip is about 505.2 miles (813.1 km) and usually takes 09h 38m in normal driving conditions.
Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?
This route is long enough that most travelers will be better off planning an overnight stay or a more deliberate stop window.
What is the halfway point on this route?
Coalinga is a useful midpoint, sitting about 252.7 miles from Irvine and 252.5 miles from Clearlake.
How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?
The direct path is about 452.7 miles (728.5 km), while the road route adds roughly 52.5 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.
When is the best time to leave for this route?
A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM PDT. Starting early still helps, but most travelers will want a longer stop or an overnight stay on a route this long.
How much will gas cost for this route?
Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $102.86 one way or $205.72 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 158.5 kg one way.
What should you check before leaving?
Before you leave, expect Mostly Sunny around Irvine and Sunny near Clearlake.
Stop Ideas Near Coalinga
Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.
Transit and Meeting Points
Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Coalinga.
Kettleman City, California
Lemoore (Naval Air Station), California
Lemoore, California
Paso Robles station
Flight Path Map
This map shows the direct air route between Irvine and Clearlake. Straight-line distance: 452.66 mi (728.48 km).
#1 Irvine
A city located in Orange County, California.
| Population | 283,700 |
| Coordinates | 33.6694600, -117.8231100 |
| Altitude | 17 |
| Country | United States |
#2 Clearlake
City in California
| Population | 15,179 |
| Coordinates | 38.9582300, -122.6263700 |
| Altitude | 432 |
| Country | United States |
End: Clearlake (-122.62637, 38.95823)
Estimated Travel Time
Distance: 813 km by road
| Speed | Time |
|---|---|
| 30 mph (48.3 km/h) | 16h 49m |
| 40 mph (64.37 km/h) | 12h 37m |
| 50 mph (80.47 km/h) | 10h 06m |
| 60 mph (96.56 km/h) | 08h 25m |
| 70 mph (112.65 km/h) | 07h 13m |
| 80 mph (129 km/h) | 06h 18m |
Fuel, Round Trip and CO2
Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.
| Fuel | $/gal | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas | $5.77 | $102.86 | $205.72 |
| Mid-grade | $6.07 | $108.16 | $216.31 |
| Premium | $6.24 | $111.31 | $222.63 |
| Diesel | $7.57 | $134.92 | $269.84 |
Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.
Prices in California · Apr 23, 2026
Distance to Other Cities
Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.