Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Carlsbad

Right now (6:53 pm PST): about 51 minutes via I-5 South and SR-73 South, usually 50 at this time.

Only 64% 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 Carlsbad 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	48	49	49	49	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	49	49	49	49	48
Tue	48	50	50	50	50	51	50	51	50	50	51	51	50	50	49	49	48
Wed	48	49	51	49	51	51	51	51	51	51	52	51	50	50	49	49	48
Thu	48	50	50	49	50	52	52	51	51	52	52	53	51	50	50	49	48
Fri	48	50	50	50	51	53	56	60	65	67	68	71	62	55	51	50	48
Sat	49	48	49	50	56	61	64	64	64	61	61	62	56	52	50	49	48
Sun	49	48	48	49	49	51	56	56	55	57	54	53	51	50	50	50	48

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Carlsbad (via I-5 South and SR-73 South) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 71 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 12:30 pm or after 5 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 53 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10:30 am on Saturdays (66 minutes).

About 53 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.5 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 Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad?

On weekdays, leave before 12:30 pm or after 5 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 71 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 55-mile drive usually takes 48 to 71 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 53 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Carlsbad?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 71 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles) · SR-73 South in Orange County (15 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (15 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (3 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carlsbad 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	48	49	49	49	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	49	49	49	49	48
Tue	48	50	50	50	50	51	50	51	50	50	51	51	50	50	49	49	48
Wed	48	49	51	49	51	51	51	51	51	51	52	51	50	50	49	49	48
Thu	48	50	50	49	50	52	52	51	51	52	52	53	51	50	50	49	48
Fri	48	50	50	50	51	53	56	60	65	67	68	71	62	55	51	50	48
Sat	49	48	49	50	56	61	64	64	64	61	61	62	56	52	50	49	48
Sun	49	48	48	49	49	51	56	56	55	57	54	53	51	50	50	50	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	49	49	49	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	49	49	49	49	48
Tue	48	50	50	50	50	51	50	51	50	50	51	51	50	50	49	49	48
Wed	48	49	51	49	51	51	51	51	51	51	52	51	50	50	49	49	48
Thu	48	50	50	49	50	52	52	51	51	52	52	53	51	50	50	49	48
Fri	48	50	50	50	51	53	56	60	65	67	68	71	62	55	51	50	48
Sat	49	48	49	50	56	61	64	64	64	61	61	62	56	52	50	49	48
Sun	49	48	48	49	49	51	56	56	55	57	54	53	51	50	50	50	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	49	49	49	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50	49	49	49	49	48
Tue	48	50	50	50	50	51	50	51	50	50	51	51	50	50	49	49	48
Wed	48	49	51	49	51	51	51	51	51	51	52	51	50	50	49	49	48
Thu	48	50	50	49	50	52	52	51	51	52	52	53	51	50	50	49	48
Fri	48	50	50	50	51	53	56	60	65	67	68	71	62	55	51	50	48
Sat	49	48	49	50	56	61	64	64	64	61	61	62	56	52	50	49	48
Sun	49	48	48	49	49	51	56	56	55	57	54	53	51	50	50	50	48