Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to Costa Mesa

Right now (7:51 pm PST): about 51 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North, usually 51 at this time.

Only 72% 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 Carlsbad 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	48	49	49	49	50	51	51	52	52	51	51	51	51	50	50	50	49
Tue	48	49	49	50	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	53	53	50	50	50	49
Wed	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	52	52	52	52	54	53	51	51	50	49
Thu	48	50	49	50	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	53	53	51	51	51	49
Fri	48	50	50	50	51	52	52	54	55	57	58	58	58	55	51	51	49
Sat	48	49	49	49	50	52	58	61	59	59	58	56	54	51	50	51	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	50	51	57	62	64	63	61	58	56	53	51	51	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from Carlsbad to Costa Mesa (via I-5 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 59 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 3 pm or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 52 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (64 minutes).

About 54 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.3 miles surface streets (2 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 3 pm or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 59 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 55-mile drive usually takes 48 to 59 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 52 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 59 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (21 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

Costa Mesa to Carlsbad (return trip) · Carlsbad to San Diego · Carlsbad to Escondido · Carlsbad to Chula Vista · Carlsbad to La Jolla · Carlsbad to El Cajon · Carlsbad to SAN · Carlsbad to Long Beach · Carlsbad to Anaheim · Carlsbad to Riverside · Carlsbad to Santa Ana · Carlsbad to Irvine

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	49	49	49	50	51	51	52	52	51	51	51	51	50	50	50	49
Tue	48	49	49	50	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	53	53	50	50	50	49
Wed	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	52	52	52	52	54	53	51	51	50	49
Thu	48	50	49	50	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	53	53	51	51	51	49
Fri	48	50	50	50	51	52	52	54	55	57	58	58	58	55	51	51	49
Sat	48	49	49	49	50	52	58	61	59	59	58	56	54	51	50	51	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	50	51	57	62	64	63	61	58	56	53	51	51	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	49	49	49	50	51	51	52	52	51	51	51	51	50	50	50	49
Tue	48	49	49	50	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	53	53	50	50	50	49
Wed	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	52	52	52	52	54	53	51	51	50	49
Thu	48	50	49	50	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	53	53	51	51	51	49
Fri	48	50	50	50	51	52	52	54	55	57	58	58	58	55	51	51	49
Sat	48	49	49	49	50	52	58	61	59	59	58	56	54	51	50	51	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	50	51	57	62	64	63	61	58	56	53	51	51	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	49	49	49	50	51	51	52	52	51	51	51	51	50	50	50	49
Tue	48	49	49	50	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	53	53	50	50	50	49
Wed	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	52	52	52	52	54	53	51	51	50	49
Thu	48	50	49	50	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	53	53	51	51	51	49
Fri	48	50	50	50	51	52	52	54	55	57	58	58	58	55	51	51	49
Sat	48	49	49	49	50	52	58	61	59	59	58	56	54	51	50	51	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	50	51	57	62	64	63	61	58	56	53	51	51	49