Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Downey

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 49 minutes via I-405 North and I-605 North, usually 35 at this time.

Only 9% 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 Downey 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	27	29	32	35	35	32	33	33	33	35	36	37	36	32	31	29	28
Tue	28	29	36	43	37	35	33	32	33	35	37	38	39	36	33	29	29
Wed	28	29	33	39	38	35	33	32	33	35	35	38	37	36	34	29	28
Thu	28	29	34	36	37	34	33	33	34	36	37	39	40	36	33	31	28
Fri	28	28	31	33	32	33	37	35	35	38	38	39	39	35	33	30	28
Sat	28	28	29	28	29	29	30	31	32	33	34	36	34	31	30	29	28
Sun	28	28	28	28	28	28	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	28

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Downey (via I-405 North and I-605 North) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 44 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (36 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 10 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 Downey 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 Downey?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 44 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 27 to 44 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Downey?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 44 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Orange County (14 miles) · I-605 North in Orange County (9 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (3 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

Downey 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	27	29	32	35	35	32	33	33	33	35	36	37	36	32	31	29	28
Tue	28	29	36	43	37	35	33	32	33	35	37	38	39	36	33	29	29
Wed	28	29	33	39	38	35	33	32	33	35	35	38	37	36	34	29	28
Thu	28	29	34	36	37	34	33	33	34	36	37	39	40	36	33	31	28
Fri	28	28	31	33	32	33	37	35	35	38	38	39	39	35	33	30	28
Sat	28	28	29	28	29	29	30	31	32	33	34	36	34	31	30	29	28
Sun	28	28	28	28	28	28	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	29	32	35	35	32	33	33	33	35	36	37	36	32	31	29	28
Tue	28	29	36	43	37	35	33	32	33	35	37	38	39	36	33	29	29
Wed	28	29	33	39	38	35	33	32	33	35	35	38	37	36	34	29	28
Thu	28	29	34	36	37	34	33	33	34	36	37	39	40	36	33	31	28
Fri	28	28	31	33	32	33	37	35	35	38	38	39	39	35	33	30	28
Sat	28	28	29	28	29	29	30	31	32	33	34	36	34	31	30	29	28
Sun	28	28	28	28	28	28	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	29	32	35	35	32	33	33	33	35	36	37	36	32	31	29	28
Tue	28	29	36	43	37	35	33	32	33	35	37	38	39	36	33	29	29
Wed	28	29	33	39	38	35	33	32	33	35	35	38	37	36	34	29	28
Thu	28	29	34	36	37	34	33	33	34	36	37	39	40	36	33	31	28
Fri	28	28	31	33	32	33	37	35	35	38	38	39	39	35	33	30	28
Sat	28	28	29	28	29	29	30	31	32	33	34	36	34	31	30	29	28
Sun	28	28	28	28	28	28	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	29	28