Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Los Angeles

Right now (11:34 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via I-5 North.

Only 47% 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 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	38	43	46	50	47	43	43	43	43	49	52	53	54	52	43	39	38
Tue	38	45	50	55	49	46	44	44	46	49	54	58	59	55	43	40	38
Wed	38	43	48	50	48	45	44	45	48	49	55	60	62	60	48	41	38
Thu	38	43	49	52	47	44	45	43	44	48	54	59	59	55	49	41	39
Fri	38	43	43	45	44	44	45	47	50	53	59	60	63	58	44	41	38
Sat	37	38	40	40	41	43	44	44	44	44	47	47	45	44	43	41	39
Sun	37	38	38	38	40	41	42	43	43	43	43	43	43	44	45	43	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Los Angeles (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 38 minutes and up to 63 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 42 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.8 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 Downtown LA (City Hall) 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 Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 38 minutes then, versus up to 63 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 43-mile drive usually takes 38 to 63 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 63 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (11 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

Los Angeles to Costa Mesa (return trip) · 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 · Costa Mesa to Garden Grove

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	43	46	50	47	43	43	43	43	49	52	53	54	52	43	39	38
Tue	38	45	50	55	49	46	44	44	46	49	54	58	59	55	43	40	38
Wed	38	43	48	50	48	45	44	45	48	49	55	60	62	60	48	41	38
Thu	38	43	49	52	47	44	45	43	44	48	54	59	59	55	49	41	39
Fri	38	43	43	45	44	44	45	47	50	53	59	60	63	58	44	41	38
Sat	37	38	40	40	41	43	44	44	44	44	47	47	45	44	43	41	39
Sun	37	38	38	38	40	41	42	43	43	43	43	43	43	44	45	43	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	43	46	50	47	43	43	43	43	49	52	53	54	52	43	39	38
Tue	38	45	50	55	49	46	44	44	46	49	54	58	59	55	43	40	38
Wed	38	43	48	50	48	45	44	45	48	49	55	60	62	60	48	41	38
Thu	38	43	49	52	47	44	45	43	44	48	54	59	59	55	49	41	39
Fri	38	43	43	45	44	44	45	47	50	53	59	60	63	58	44	41	38
Sat	37	38	40	40	41	43	44	44	44	44	47	47	45	44	43	41	39
Sun	37	38	38	38	40	41	42	43	43	43	43	43	43	44	45	43	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	43	46	50	47	43	43	43	43	49	52	53	54	52	43	39	38
Tue	38	45	50	55	49	46	44	44	46	49	54	58	59	55	43	40	38
Wed	38	43	48	50	48	45	44	45	48	49	55	60	62	60	48	41	38
Thu	38	43	49	52	47	44	45	43	44	48	54	59	59	55	49	41	39
Fri	38	43	43	45	44	44	45	47	50	53	59	60	63	58	44	41	38
Sat	37	38	40	40	41	43	44	44	44	44	47	47	45	44	43	41	39
Sun	37	38	38	38	40	41	42	43	43	43	43	43	43	44	45	43	39