Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Glendale

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 54 minutes via I-5 North, usually 49 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 Glendale 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	44	59	65	71	67	60	59	59	60	68	72	74	69	64	50	46	44
Tue	44	59	67	75	71	65	59	60	61	68	75	79	69	63	53	46	44
Wed	44	58	65	69	73	64	60	61	64	68	74	79	76	74	60	49	45
Thu	44	57	66	69	67	62	60	59	61	68	75	77	72	64	63	51	44
Fri	44	56	59	64	62	60	59	66	69	73	79	78	79	67	58	52	45
Sat	44	45	46	48	55	60	64	62	64	64	65	66	62	62	61	53	45
Sun	44	45	45	45	47	52	56	59	62	62	65	60	60	60	58	54	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 50-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Glendale (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 81 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (69 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.2 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 Glendale 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 Glendale?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 81 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 50-mile drive usually takes 44 to 81 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Glendale?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 81 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (18 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

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	59	65	71	67	60	59	59	60	68	72	74	69	64	50	46	44
Tue	44	59	67	75	71	65	59	60	61	68	75	79	69	63	53	46	44
Wed	44	58	65	69	73	64	60	61	64	68	74	79	76	74	60	49	45
Thu	44	57	66	69	67	62	60	59	61	68	75	77	72	64	63	51	44
Fri	44	56	59	64	62	60	59	66	69	73	79	78	79	67	58	52	45
Sat	44	45	46	48	55	60	64	62	64	64	65	66	62	62	61	53	45
Sun	44	45	45	45	47	52	56	59	62	62	65	60	60	60	58	54	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	59	65	71	67	60	59	59	60	68	72	74	69	64	50	46	44
Tue	44	59	67	75	71	65	59	60	61	68	75	79	69	63	53	46	44
Wed	44	58	65	69	73	64	60	61	64	68	74	79	76	74	60	49	45
Thu	44	57	66	69	67	62	60	59	61	68	75	77	72	64	63	51	44
Fri	44	56	59	64	62	60	59	66	69	73	79	78	79	67	58	52	45
Sat	44	45	46	48	55	60	64	62	64	64	65	66	62	62	61	53	45
Sun	44	45	45	45	47	52	56	59	62	62	65	60	60	60	58	54	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	59	65	71	67	60	59	59	60	68	72	74	69	64	50	46	44
Tue	44	59	67	75	71	65	59	60	61	68	75	79	69	63	53	46	44
Wed	44	58	65	69	73	64	60	61	64	68	74	79	76	74	60	49	45
Thu	44	57	66	69	67	62	60	59	61	68	75	77	72	64	63	51	44
Fri	44	56	59	64	62	60	59	66	69	73	79	78	79	67	58	52	45
Sat	44	45	46	48	55	60	64	62	64	64	65	66	62	62	61	53	45
Sun	44	45	45	45	47	52	56	59	62	62	65	60	60	60	58	54	46