Best Time to Drive from Altadena to Costa Mesa

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 63 minutes via SR-57 South and I-210 East, usually 60 at this time.

Only 18% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Altadena to Costa Mesa by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	68	82	83	71	65	62	61	64	70	82	89	88	73	59	55	54
Tue	53	71	87	87	75	69	66	65	66	72	85	97	95	81	66	57	54
Wed	53	70	87	85	79	70	67	66	66	75	87	100	97	83	67	58	54
Thu	54	69	81	83	74	70	67	65	68	78	91	103	100	83	66	57	55
Fri	54	65	75	73	69	67	67	71	80	92	104	107	101	83	68	59	55
Sat	54	55	56	57	59	60	65	68	69	73	75	74	71	65	60	56	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	56	57	60	61	62	63	62	60	60	58	57	57	54

About this drive

On weekdays the 59-mile drive from Altadena to Costa Mesa (via SR-57 South and I-210 East) usually takes as little as 53 minutes and up to 107 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 69 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (76 minutes).

About 53 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 24 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Altadena to central Costa Mesa along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Altadena to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 53 minutes then, versus up to 107 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Altadena to Costa Mesa?

The 59-mile drive usually takes 53 to 107 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 69 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Altadena to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 107 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-210 East in Los Angeles (15 miles) · SR-57 South in Orange County (12 miles) · SR-57 South in Los Angeles (12 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (8 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (4 miles) · SR-60 West in Los Angeles (1.4 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Costa Mesa to Altadena (return trip) · Altadena to Los Angeles · Altadena to Long Beach · Altadena to Anaheim · Altadena to Riverside · Altadena to Santa Ana · Altadena to Irvine · Altadena to San Bernardino · Altadena to Fontana · Altadena to Oxnard · Altadena to Moreno Valley · Altadena to Huntington Beach

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	68	82	83	71	65	62	61	64	70	82	89	88	73	59	55	54
Tue	53	71	87	87	75	69	66	65	66	72	85	97	95	81	66	57	54
Wed	53	70	87	85	79	70	67	66	66	75	87	100	97	83	67	58	54
Thu	54	69	81	83	74	70	67	65	68	78	91	103	100	83	66	57	55
Fri	54	65	75	73	69	67	67	71	80	92	104	107	101	83	68	59	55
Sat	54	55	56	57	59	60	65	68	69	73	75	74	71	65	60	56	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	56	57	60	61	62	63	62	60	60	58	57	57	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	68	82	83	71	65	62	61	64	70	82	89	88	73	59	55	54
Tue	53	71	87	87	75	69	66	65	66	72	85	97	95	81	66	57	54
Wed	53	70	87	85	79	70	67	66	66	75	87	100	97	83	67	58	54
Thu	54	69	81	83	74	70	67	65	68	78	91	103	100	83	66	57	55
Fri	54	65	75	73	69	67	67	71	80	92	104	107	101	83	68	59	55
Sat	54	55	56	57	59	60	65	68	69	73	75	74	71	65	60	56	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	56	57	60	61	62	63	62	60	60	58	57	57	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	68	82	83	71	65	62	61	64	70	82	89	88	73	59	55	54
Tue	53	71	87	87	75	69	66	65	66	72	85	97	95	81	66	57	54
Wed	53	70	87	85	79	70	67	66	66	75	87	100	97	83	67	58	54
Thu	54	69	81	83	74	70	67	65	68	78	91	103	100	83	66	57	55
Fri	54	65	75	73	69	67	67	71	80	92	104	107	101	83	68	59	55
Sat	54	55	56	57	59	60	65	68	69	73	75	74	71	65	60	56	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	56	57	60	61	62	63	62	60	60	58	57	57	54