Best Time to Drive from Burbank to Costa Mesa

Right now (9:35 pm PST): about 47 minutes via I-5 South, usually 48 at this time.

Only 7% 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 Burbank 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	46	57	75	74	63	60	60	59	62	62	77	86	81	74	58	49	47
Tue	45	59	83	84	69	63	60	59	59	68	83	96	89	79	64	53	46
Wed	45	57	84	80	72	63	60	59	61	66	72	78	78	71	61	53	47
Thu	45	57	79	79	69	65	63	63	67	74	88	93	91	80	63	53	48
Fri	45	55	71	69	63	59	60	62	70	83	89	91	89	79	64	57	48
Sat	47	48	49	51	54	57	61	62	66	69	69	68	67	65	60	57	50
Sun	46	47	46	47	48	53	57	62	63	65	63	63	61	61	60	58	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 52-mile drive from Burbank to Costa Mesa (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 45 minutes and up to 97 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (69 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.2 miles surface streets (1 to 2 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Burbank 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 Burbank to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 45 minutes then, versus up to 97 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 52-mile drive usually takes 45 to 97 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Burbank to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 97 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (25 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (18 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (8 miles)

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

More drives

Costa Mesa to Burbank (return trip) · Burbank to Los Angeles · Burbank to Santa Monica · Burbank to Pasadena · Burbank to Long Beach · Burbank to West Covina · Burbank to Santa Clarita · Burbank to Torrance · Burbank to LAX · Burbank to Culver City · Burbank to El Monte · Burbank to Downey

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	57	75	74	63	60	60	59	62	62	77	86	81	74	58	49	47
Tue	45	59	83	84	69	63	60	59	59	68	83	96	89	79	64	53	46
Wed	45	57	84	80	72	63	60	59	61	66	72	78	78	71	61	53	47
Thu	45	57	79	79	69	65	63	63	67	74	88	93	91	80	63	53	48
Fri	45	55	71	69	63	59	60	62	70	83	89	91	89	79	64	57	48
Sat	47	48	49	51	54	57	61	62	66	69	69	68	67	65	60	57	50
Sun	46	47	46	47	48	53	57	62	63	65	63	63	61	61	60	58	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	57	75	74	63	60	60	59	62	62	77	86	81	74	58	49	47
Tue	45	59	83	84	69	63	60	59	59	68	83	96	89	79	64	53	46
Wed	45	57	84	80	72	63	60	59	61	66	72	78	78	71	61	53	47
Thu	45	57	79	79	69	65	63	63	67	74	88	93	91	80	63	53	48
Fri	45	55	71	69	63	59	60	62	70	83	89	91	89	79	64	57	48
Sat	47	48	49	51	54	57	61	62	66	69	69	68	67	65	60	57	50
Sun	46	47	46	47	48	53	57	62	63	65	63	63	61	61	60	58	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	57	75	74	63	60	60	59	62	62	77	86	81	74	58	49	47
Tue	45	59	83	84	69	63	60	59	59	68	83	96	89	79	64	53	46
Wed	45	57	84	80	72	63	60	59	61	66	72	78	78	71	61	53	47
Thu	45	57	79	79	69	65	63	63	67	74	88	93	91	80	63	53	48
Fri	45	55	71	69	63	59	60	62	70	83	89	91	89	79	64	57	48
Sat	47	48	49	51	54	57	61	62	66	69	69	68	67	65	60	57	50
Sun	46	47	46	47	48	53	57	62	63	65	63	63	61	61	60	58	50