Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Brea
Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 23 minutes via SR-57 North and SR-55 North and I-5 North, usually 24 at this time.
Only 3% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 20 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 33 | 25 | 22 | 21 |
| Tue | 21 | 21 | 23 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 34 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 25 | 23 | 21 |
| Wed | 20 | 22 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 39 | 39 | 31 | 23 | 21 |
| Thu | 20 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 35 | 30 | 23 | 21 |
| Fri | 20 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 31 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 30 | 25 | 23 | 21 |
| Sat | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 21 |
| Sun | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 23-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Brea (via SR-57 North and SR-55 North and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 20 minutes and up to 40 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 26 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (26 minutes).
About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.7 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 Costa Mesa to central Brea 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 Brea?
On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 20 minutes then, versus up to 40 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Brea?
The 23-mile drive usually takes 20 to 40 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 26 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Brea?
Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 40 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
SR-57 North in Orange County (9 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (8 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (4 miles)
Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow
More drives
Brea 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