Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Canyon Country

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 89 minutes via I-5 North, usually 92 at this time.

Only 7% 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	89	92	97	93	88	86	87	89	93	100	105	100	92	80	73	70
Tue	72	91	92	99	95	90	84	84	87	93	103	112	109	100	90	75	71
Wed	70	88	89	93	94	87	85	85	88	93	103	110	107	102	86	75	70
Thu	72	88	92	96	94	89	88	88	89	96	111	116	109	100	91	78	70
Fri	70	85	85	88	90	89	90	93	97	101	109	109	107	101	88	79	70
Sat	69	70	72	73	78	87	90	88	91	90	90	91	88	88	87	79	71
Sun	69	69	69	69	71	78	89	97	99	103	93	88	88	89	87	81	71

About this drive

On weekdays the 76-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Canyon Country (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 70 minutes and up to 116 minutes, when leaving around 4 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 89 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (103 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 70 minutes then, versus up to 116 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 76-mile drive usually takes 70 to 116 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 89 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Canyon Country?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 116 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	89	92	97	93	88	86	87	89	93	100	105	100	92	80	73	70
Tue	72	91	92	99	95	90	84	84	87	93	103	112	109	100	90	75	71
Wed	70	88	89	93	94	87	85	85	88	93	103	110	107	102	86	75	70
Thu	72	88	92	96	94	89	88	88	89	96	111	116	109	100	91	78	70
Fri	70	85	85	88	90	89	90	93	97	101	109	109	107	101	88	79	70
Sat	69	70	72	73	78	87	90	88	91	90	90	91	88	88	87	79	71
Sun	69	69	69	69	71	78	89	97	99	103	93	88	88	89	87	81	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	89	92	97	93	88	86	87	89	93	100	105	100	92	80	73	70
Tue	72	91	92	99	95	90	84	84	87	93	103	112	109	100	90	75	71
Wed	70	88	89	93	94	87	85	85	88	93	103	110	107	102	86	75	70
Thu	72	88	92	96	94	89	88	88	89	96	111	116	109	100	91	78	70
Fri	70	85	85	88	90	89	90	93	97	101	109	109	107	101	88	79	70
Sat	69	70	72	73	78	87	90	88	91	90	90	91	88	88	87	79	71
Sun	69	69	69	69	71	78	89	97	99	103	93	88	88	89	87	81	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	89	92	97	93	88	86	87	89	93	100	105	100	92	80	73	70
Tue	72	91	92	99	95	90	84	84	87	93	103	112	109	100	90	75	71
Wed	70	88	89	93	94	87	85	85	88	93	103	110	107	102	86	75	70
Thu	72	88	92	96	94	89	88	88	89	96	111	116	109	100	91	78	70
Fri	70	85	85	88	90	89	90	93	97	101	109	109	107	101	88	79	70
Sat	69	70	72	73	78	87	90	88	91	90	90	91	88	88	87	79	71
Sun	69	69	69	69	71	78	89	97	99	103	93	88	88	89	87	81	71