Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to East Los Angeles

Right now (7:09 pm PDT): about 49 minutes via I-5 North and SR-55 North, usually 44 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 East Los Angeles 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	33	34	37	40	39	37	37	37	38	45	49	48	48	47	35	34	33
Tue	33	34	39	43	39	39	38	39	40	44	49	53	50	45	38	34	34
Wed	33	34	38	40	40	38	38	39	42	45	50	55	57	55	44	37	33
Thu	33	34	38	39	38	37	37	37	38	44	50	56	51	44	44	35	33
Fri	33	35	35	37	37	38	38	41	44	48	54	55	59	47	38	35	33
Sat	33	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	37	40	40	41	38	36	36	33
Sun	33	34	34	34	35	35	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from Costa Mesa to East Los Angeles (via I-5 North and SR-55 North) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 59 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.1 miles surface streets (1 to 2 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 East Los Angeles 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 East Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 59 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to East Los Angeles?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 33 to 59 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to East Los Angeles?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 59 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (8 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (6 miles)

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

More drives

East Los Angeles 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	33	34	37	40	39	37	37	37	38	45	49	48	48	47	35	34	33
Tue	33	34	39	43	39	39	38	39	40	44	49	53	50	45	38	34	34
Wed	33	34	38	40	40	38	38	39	42	45	50	55	57	55	44	37	33
Thu	33	34	38	39	38	37	37	37	38	44	50	56	51	44	44	35	33
Fri	33	35	35	37	37	38	38	41	44	48	54	55	59	47	38	35	33
Sat	33	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	37	40	40	41	38	36	36	33
Sun	33	34	34	34	35	35	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	37	40	39	37	37	37	38	45	49	48	48	47	35	34	33
Tue	33	34	39	43	39	39	38	39	40	44	49	53	50	45	38	34	34
Wed	33	34	38	40	40	38	38	39	42	45	50	55	57	55	44	37	33
Thu	33	34	38	39	38	37	37	37	38	44	50	56	51	44	44	35	33
Fri	33	35	35	37	37	38	38	41	44	48	54	55	59	47	38	35	33
Sat	33	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	37	40	40	41	38	36	36	33
Sun	33	34	34	34	35	35	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	37	40	39	37	37	37	38	45	49	48	48	47	35	34	33
Tue	33	34	39	43	39	39	38	39	40	44	49	53	50	45	38	34	34
Wed	33	34	38	40	40	38	38	39	42	45	50	55	57	55	44	37	33
Thu	33	34	38	39	38	37	37	37	38	44	50	56	51	44	44	35	33
Fri	33	35	35	37	37	38	38	41	44	48	54	55	59	47	38	35	33
Sat	33	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	37	40	40	41	38	36	36	33
Sun	33	34	34	34	35	35	36	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	33