Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Canyon Country

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 106 minutes via I-5 North, usually 90 at this time.

Only 36% 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 Canyon Country 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	71	91	92	95	93	88	86	86	89	96	101	106	101	93	77	73	70
Tue	72	91	92	99	96	89	85	85	87	93	103	111	107	99	83	75	70
Wed	71	88	89	92	95	88	85	85	88	94	104	111	107	102	85	75	69
Thu	71	88	91	96	94	88	88	86	87	96	112	116	107	99	90	79	70
Fri	71	84	85	89	90	89	90	95	99	102	110	110	105	96	85	78	70
Sat	68	71	72	73	81	90	93	90	93	90	90	90	87	88	86	78	71
Sun	68	69	69	69	71	78	90	97	100	102	93	87	87	88	87	81	70

About this drive

On weekdays the 76-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Canyon Country (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 69 minutes and up to 117 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 90 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (102 minutes).

About 71 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 14 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 Canyon Country 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 Canyon Country?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 69 minutes then, versus up to 117 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Canyon Country?

The 76-mile drive usually takes 69 to 117 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 90 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Canyon Country?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 117 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (40 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (8 miles)

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

More drives

Canyon Country 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	71	91	92	95	93	88	86	86	89	96	101	106	101	93	77	73	70
Tue	72	91	92	99	96	89	85	85	87	93	103	111	107	99	83	75	70
Wed	71	88	89	92	95	88	85	85	88	94	104	111	107	102	85	75	69
Thu	71	88	91	96	94	88	88	86	87	96	112	116	107	99	90	79	70
Fri	71	84	85	89	90	89	90	95	99	102	110	110	105	96	85	78	70
Sat	68	71	72	73	81	90	93	90	93	90	90	90	87	88	86	78	71
Sun	68	69	69	69	71	78	90	97	100	102	93	87	87	88	87	81	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	91	92	95	93	88	86	86	89	96	101	106	101	93	77	73	70
Tue	72	91	92	99	96	89	85	85	87	93	103	111	107	99	83	75	70
Wed	71	88	89	92	95	88	85	85	88	94	104	111	107	102	85	75	69
Thu	71	88	91	96	94	88	88	86	87	96	112	116	107	99	90	79	70
Fri	71	84	85	89	90	89	90	95	99	102	110	110	105	96	85	78	70
Sat	68	71	72	73	81	90	93	90	93	90	90	90	87	88	86	78	71
Sun	68	69	69	69	71	78	90	97	100	102	93	87	87	88	87	81	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	91	92	95	93	88	86	86	89	96	101	106	101	93	77	73	70
Tue	72	91	92	99	96	89	85	85	87	93	103	111	107	99	83	75	70
Wed	71	88	89	92	95	88	85	85	88	94	104	111	107	102	85	75	69
Thu	71	88	91	96	94	88	88	86	87	96	112	116	107	99	90	79	70
Fri	71	84	85	89	90	89	90	95	99	102	110	110	105	96	85	78	70
Sat	68	71	72	73	81	90	93	90	93	90	90	90	87	88	86	78	71
Sun	68	69	69	69	71	78	90	97	100	102	93	87	87	88	87	81	70