Best Time to Drive from Anaheim to La Mesa

Right now (6:50 pm PDT): about 101 minutes via I-5 South, usually 95 at this time.

Only 43% 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 Anaheim to La 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	88	93	106	106	103	95	94	94	95	106	115	109	99	95	91	89	88
Tue	89	96	116	115	105	100	96	96	97	112	120	120	107	100	92	90	89
Wed	88	95	116	114	105	99	96	96	97	114	122	121	107	99	92	90	89
Thu	89	95	113	110	105	100	97	96	98	116	123	121	107	97	91	90	88
Fri	89	94	102	102	101	99	102	106	114	128	130	124	109	99	95	91	89
Sat	89	89	90	94	104	112	114	113	114	106	106	106	98	95	92	90	89
Sun	88	88	88	89	91	94	100	99	102	99	98	97	96	94	93	93	88

About this drive

On weekdays the 100-mile drive from Anaheim to La Mesa (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 88 minutes and up to 131 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 102 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10:30 am on Saturdays (114 minutes).

About 97 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (4 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Disneyland to central La 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 Anaheim to La Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 88 minutes then, versus up to 131 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Anaheim to La Mesa?

The 100-mile drive usually takes 88 to 131 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 102 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Anaheim to La Mesa?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 131 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (40 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (37 miles) · I-805 South in San Diego (10 miles) · I-8 East in San Diego (6 miles) · SR-57 South in Orange County (4 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

La Mesa to Anaheim (return trip) · Anaheim to Los Angeles · Anaheim to Santa Monica · Anaheim to Pasadena · Anaheim to Long Beach · Anaheim to West Covina · Anaheim to Burbank · Anaheim to Glendale · Anaheim to Santa Clarita · Anaheim to Van Nuys · Anaheim to Torrance · Anaheim to LAX

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	93	106	106	103	95	94	94	95	106	115	109	99	95	91	89	88
Tue	89	96	116	115	105	100	96	96	97	112	120	120	107	100	92	90	89
Wed	88	95	116	114	105	99	96	96	97	114	122	121	107	99	92	90	89
Thu	89	95	113	110	105	100	97	96	98	116	123	121	107	97	91	90	88
Fri	89	94	102	102	101	99	102	106	114	128	130	124	109	99	95	91	89
Sat	89	89	90	94	104	112	114	113	114	106	106	106	98	95	92	90	89
Sun	88	88	88	89	91	94	100	99	102	99	98	97	96	94	93	93	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	93	106	106	103	95	94	94	95	106	115	109	99	95	91	89	88
Tue	89	96	116	115	105	100	96	96	97	112	120	120	107	100	92	90	89
Wed	88	95	116	114	105	99	96	96	97	114	122	121	107	99	92	90	89
Thu	89	95	113	110	105	100	97	96	98	116	123	121	107	97	91	90	88
Fri	89	94	102	102	101	99	102	106	114	128	130	124	109	99	95	91	89
Sat	89	89	90	94	104	112	114	113	114	106	106	106	98	95	92	90	89
Sun	88	88	88	89	91	94	100	99	102	99	98	97	96	94	93	93	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	93	106	106	103	95	94	94	95	106	115	109	99	95	91	89	88
Tue	89	96	116	115	105	100	96	96	97	112	120	120	107	100	92	90	89
Wed	88	95	116	114	105	99	96	96	97	114	122	121	107	99	92	90	89
Thu	89	95	113	110	105	100	97	96	98	116	123	121	107	97	91	90	88
Fri	89	94	102	102	101	99	102	106	114	128	130	124	109	99	95	91	89
Sat	89	89	90	94	104	112	114	113	114	106	106	106	98	95	92	90	89
Sun	88	88	88	89	91	94	100	99	102	99	98	97	96	94	93	93	88