Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Lake Elsinore

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 56 minutes via I-15 South and SR-91 East and SR-55 North, usually 66 at this time.

Only 23% 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 Lake Elsinore 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	51	52	54	53	53	53	54	54	61	71	76	75	66	57	52	49
Tue	48	51	53	56	54	54	53	54	56	63	75	80	82	72	63	54	49
Wed	48	52	53	55	55	54	53	55	57	65	75	80	79	74	62	55	50
Thu	48	52	53	55	54	54	54	55	58	65	78	84	83	73	63	54	49
Fri	48	50	51	53	53	53	55	61	70	80	90	88	82	70	61	55	50
Sat	48	49	50	51	52	54	59	60	60	61	64	64	61	59	57	55	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	50	50	51	51	52	52	52	52	51	52	52	54	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 54-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Lake Elsinore (via I-15 South and SR-91 East and SR-55 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 90 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 58 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm 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 (about 2 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Costa Mesa to central Lake Elsinore 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 Lake Elsinore?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 90 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Lake Elsinore?

The 54-mile drive usually takes 48 to 90 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 58 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Lake Elsinore?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 90 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 East in Orange County (18 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-15 South in Orange County (14 miles) · I-15 South in Inland Empire (6 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

Lake Elsinore 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	51	52	54	53	53	53	54	54	61	71	76	75	66	57	52	49
Tue	48	51	53	56	54	54	53	54	56	63	75	80	82	72	63	54	49
Wed	48	52	53	55	55	54	53	55	57	65	75	80	79	74	62	55	50
Thu	48	52	53	55	54	54	54	55	58	65	78	84	83	73	63	54	49
Fri	48	50	51	53	53	53	55	61	70	80	90	88	82	70	61	55	50
Sat	48	49	50	51	52	54	59	60	60	61	64	64	61	59	57	55	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	50	50	51	51	52	52	52	52	51	52	52	54	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	51	52	54	53	53	53	54	54	61	71	76	75	66	57	52	49
Tue	48	51	53	56	54	54	53	54	56	63	75	80	82	72	63	54	49
Wed	48	52	53	55	55	54	53	55	57	65	75	80	79	74	62	55	50
Thu	48	52	53	55	54	54	54	55	58	65	78	84	83	73	63	54	49
Fri	48	50	51	53	53	53	55	61	70	80	90	88	82	70	61	55	50
Sat	48	49	50	51	52	54	59	60	60	61	64	64	61	59	57	55	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	50	50	51	51	52	52	52	52	51	52	52	54	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	51	52	54	53	53	53	54	54	61	71	76	75	66	57	52	49
Tue	48	51	53	56	54	54	53	54	56	63	75	80	82	72	63	54	49
Wed	48	52	53	55	55	54	53	55	57	65	75	80	79	74	62	55	50
Thu	48	52	53	55	54	54	54	55	58	65	78	84	83	73	63	54	49
Fri	48	50	51	53	53	53	55	61	70	80	90	88	82	70	61	55	50
Sat	48	49	50	51	52	54	59	60	60	61	64	64	61	59	57	55	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	50	50	51	51	52	52	52	52	51	52	52	54	49