Best Time to Drive from Carson to Mission Viejo

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 48 minutes via I-405 South, usually 40 at this time.

Only 20% 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 Carson to Mission Viejo 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	37	39	41	43	42	39	39	40	40	40	40	41	45	40	38	38	37
Tue	37	39	42	44	43	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	48	42	39	39	37
Wed	37	40	42	44	43	42	41	41	41	40	41	42	47	42	40	39	37
Thu	37	39	42	44	43	41	41	41	41	40	40	42	44	41	39	39	38
Fri	37	39	42	42	41	40	40	40	40	40	41	40	40	40	39	39	37
Sat	37	37	38	38	38	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from Carson to Mission Viejo (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 48 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (39 minutes).

About 39 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carson to central Mission Viejo 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 Carson to Mission Viejo?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 48 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Carson to Mission Viejo?

The 41-mile drive usually takes 37 to 48 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carson to Mission Viejo?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 48 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Orange County (26 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (8 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (4 miles)

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

More drives

Mission Viejo to Carson (return trip) · Carson to Los Angeles · Carson to Long Beach · Carson to Anaheim · Carson to Riverside · Carson to Santa Ana · Carson to Irvine · Carson to Buena Park · Carson to San Bernardino · Carson to Fontana · Carson to Oxnard · Carson to Moreno Valley

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	41	43	42	39	39	40	40	40	40	41	45	40	38	38	37
Tue	37	39	42	44	43	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	48	42	39	39	37
Wed	37	40	42	44	43	42	41	41	41	40	41	42	47	42	40	39	37
Thu	37	39	42	44	43	41	41	41	41	40	40	42	44	41	39	39	38
Fri	37	39	42	42	41	40	40	40	40	40	41	40	40	40	39	39	37
Sat	37	37	38	38	38	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	41	43	42	39	39	40	40	40	40	41	45	40	38	38	37
Tue	37	39	42	44	43	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	48	42	39	39	37
Wed	37	40	42	44	43	42	41	41	41	40	41	42	47	42	40	39	37
Thu	37	39	42	44	43	41	41	41	41	40	40	42	44	41	39	39	38
Fri	37	39	42	42	41	40	40	40	40	40	41	40	40	40	39	39	37
Sat	37	37	38	38	38	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	41	43	42	39	39	40	40	40	40	41	45	40	38	38	37
Tue	37	39	42	44	43	40	40	40	40	40	41	42	48	42	39	39	37
Wed	37	40	42	44	43	42	41	41	41	40	41	42	47	42	40	39	37
Thu	37	39	42	44	43	41	41	41	41	40	40	42	44	41	39	39	38
Fri	37	39	42	42	41	40	40	40	40	40	41	40	40	40	39	39	37
Sat	37	37	38	38	38	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	37	38	38	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	39	38	37