Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Mid-City

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 61 minutes via I-405 North, usually 54 at this time.

None 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 Mid-City 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	43	46	49	49	49	49	47	48	49	49	55	67	84	66	48	48	46
Tue	43	49	50	53	52	51	51	49	49	53	58	71	81	71	54	47	44
Wed	43	48	50	53	54	51	50	50	51	54	63	73	81	71	58	53	45
Thu	43	49	50	52	52	52	50	50	50	54	61	71	75	67	57	53	43
Fri	43	48	50	51	49	49	52	51	52	61	66	69	77	67	58	52	45
Sat	43	43	43	44	45	47	50	50	52	53	55	52	51	51	51	51	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	45	47	48	51	51	51	50	49	50	54	57	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 47-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Mid-City (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 43 minutes and up to 84 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Mondays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 51 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 8 pm on Sundays (57 minutes).

About 41 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 16 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 Mid-City 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 Mid-City?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 43 minutes then, versus up to 84 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Mid-City?

The 47-mile drive usually takes 43 to 84 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 51 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Mid-City?

Leaving around 5 pm on Mondays is usually slowest, about 84 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (21 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (16 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

Mid-City 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	43	46	49	49	49	49	47	48	49	49	55	67	84	66	48	48	46
Tue	43	49	50	53	52	51	51	49	49	53	58	71	81	71	54	47	44
Wed	43	48	50	53	54	51	50	50	51	54	63	73	81	71	58	53	45
Thu	43	49	50	52	52	52	50	50	50	54	61	71	75	67	57	53	43
Fri	43	48	50	51	49	49	52	51	52	61	66	69	77	67	58	52	45
Sat	43	43	43	44	45	47	50	50	52	53	55	52	51	51	51	51	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	45	47	48	51	51	51	50	49	50	54	57	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	46	49	49	49	49	47	48	49	49	55	67	84	66	48	48	46
Tue	43	49	50	53	52	51	51	49	49	53	58	71	81	71	54	47	44
Wed	43	48	50	53	54	51	50	50	51	54	63	73	81	71	58	53	45
Thu	43	49	50	52	52	52	50	50	50	54	61	71	75	67	57	53	43
Fri	43	48	50	51	49	49	52	51	52	61	66	69	77	67	58	52	45
Sat	43	43	43	44	45	47	50	50	52	53	55	52	51	51	51	51	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	45	47	48	51	51	51	50	49	50	54	57	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	46	49	49	49	49	47	48	49	49	55	67	84	66	48	48	46
Tue	43	49	50	53	52	51	51	49	49	53	58	71	81	71	54	47	44
Wed	43	48	50	53	54	51	50	50	51	54	63	73	81	71	58	53	45
Thu	43	49	50	52	52	52	50	50	50	54	61	71	75	67	57	53	43
Fri	43	48	50	51	49	49	52	51	52	61	66	69	77	67	58	52	45
Sat	43	43	43	44	45	47	50	50	52	53	55	52	51	51	51	51	44
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	45	47	48	51	51	51	50	49	50	54	57	49