Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Altadena

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 61 minutes via SR-57 North and I-210 West, usually 59 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 Costa Mesa to Altadena 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	76	84	78	69	65	62	61	62	70	76	77	74	68	59	56	53
Tue	54	84	91	81	74	69	65	62	67	72	79	85	86	77	60	57	54
Wed	53	82	88	81	72	68	64	65	69	77	84	84	89	78	66	58	54
Thu	53	74	84	77	71	68	64	63	67	73	83	86	85	74	65	57	54
Fri	53	68	73	69	67	65	65	70	75	82	88	87	85	71	61	57	54
Sat	54	55	55	56	57	59	63	64	65	66	68	66	66	63	59	57	54
Sun	53	54	54	54	55	56	58	61	62	62	60	59	59	58	58	58	54

About this drive

On weekdays the 59-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Altadena (via SR-57 North and I-210 West) usually takes as little as 53 minutes and up to 93 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 67 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (68 minutes).

About 53 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 22 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Costa Mesa to central Altadena 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 Costa Mesa to Altadena?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 53 minutes then, versus up to 93 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 59-mile drive usually takes 53 to 93 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 67 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Altadena?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 93 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-210 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · SR-57 North in Orange County (12 miles) · SR-57 North in Los Angeles (11 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (8 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (4 miles) · SR-60 East in Los Angeles (2 miles)

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

More drives

Altadena to Costa Mesa (return trip) · Costa Mesa to Los Angeles · Costa Mesa to Anaheim · Costa Mesa to Riverside · Costa Mesa to Santa Ana · Costa Mesa to Irvine · Costa Mesa to San Bernardino · Costa Mesa to Fontana · Costa Mesa to Moreno Valley · Costa Mesa to Glendale · Costa Mesa to Santa Clarita · Costa Mesa to Oceanside

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	76	84	78	69	65	62	61	62	70	76	77	74	68	59	56	53
Tue	54	84	91	81	74	69	65	62	67	72	79	85	86	77	60	57	54
Wed	53	82	88	81	72	68	64	65	69	77	84	84	89	78	66	58	54
Thu	53	74	84	77	71	68	64	63	67	73	83	86	85	74	65	57	54
Fri	53	68	73	69	67	65	65	70	75	82	88	87	85	71	61	57	54
Sat	54	55	55	56	57	59	63	64	65	66	68	66	66	63	59	57	54
Sun	53	54	54	54	55	56	58	61	62	62	60	59	59	58	58	58	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	76	84	78	69	65	62	61	62	70	76	77	74	68	59	56	53
Tue	54	84	91	81	74	69	65	62	67	72	79	85	86	77	60	57	54
Wed	53	82	88	81	72	68	64	65	69	77	84	84	89	78	66	58	54
Thu	53	74	84	77	71	68	64	63	67	73	83	86	85	74	65	57	54
Fri	53	68	73	69	67	65	65	70	75	82	88	87	85	71	61	57	54
Sat	54	55	55	56	57	59	63	64	65	66	68	66	66	63	59	57	54
Sun	53	54	54	54	55	56	58	61	62	62	60	59	59	58	58	58	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	76	84	78	69	65	62	61	62	70	76	77	74	68	59	56	53
Tue	54	84	91	81	74	69	65	62	67	72	79	85	86	77	60	57	54
Wed	53	82	88	81	72	68	64	65	69	77	84	84	89	78	66	58	54
Thu	53	74	84	77	71	68	64	63	67	73	83	86	85	74	65	57	54
Fri	53	68	73	69	67	65	65	70	75	82	88	87	85	71	61	57	54
Sat	54	55	55	56	57	59	63	64	65	66	68	66	66	63	59	57	54
Sun	53	54	54	54	55	56	58	61	62	62	60	59	59	58	58	58	54