Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Carson

Right now (5:33 pm PDT): about 35 minutes via I-405 North, usually 31 at this time.

None 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 Carson 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	30	30	30	32	32	33	32	32	33	33	33	32	31	30	30	30	30
Tue	30	30	31	34	33	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	30	30	31	33
Wed	30	30	31	33	34	33	34	34	34	34	34	33	32	31	31	32	30
Thu	30	30	31	33	32	33	33	33	33	32	32	32	31	32	31	32	31
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	31	36
Sat	30	31	31	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Carson (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 36 minutes, when leaving around 9 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 4:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 8:30 pm on Sundays (32 minutes).

About 32 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.9 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Costa Mesa to central Carson 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 Carson?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 4:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 36 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 33-mile drive usually takes 29 to 36 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Carson?

Leaving around 9 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 36 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (3 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (1.7 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (1.6 miles)

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

More drives

Carson 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	30	30	30	32	32	33	32	32	33	33	33	32	31	30	30	30	30
Tue	30	30	31	34	33	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	30	30	31	33
Wed	30	30	31	33	34	33	34	34	34	34	34	33	32	31	31	32	30
Thu	30	30	31	33	32	33	33	33	33	32	32	32	31	32	31	32	31
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	31	36
Sat	30	31	31	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	30	32	32	33	32	32	33	33	33	32	31	30	30	30	30
Tue	30	30	31	34	33	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	30	30	31	33
Wed	30	30	31	33	34	33	34	34	34	34	34	33	32	31	31	32	30
Thu	30	30	31	33	32	33	33	33	33	32	32	32	31	32	31	32	31
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	31	36
Sat	30	31	31	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	30	32	32	33	32	32	33	33	33	32	31	30	30	30	30
Tue	30	30	31	34	33	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	30	30	31	33
Wed	30	30	31	33	34	33	34	34	34	34	34	33	32	31	31	32	30
Thu	30	30	31	33	32	33	33	33	33	32	32	32	31	32	31	32	31
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	31	36
Sat	30	31	31	30	30	30	31	31	31	32	32	32	31	31	31	32	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	30	30	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	31	32	30