Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Mission Viejo

Right now (12:48 am PDT): about 16 minutes via I-405 South and I-5 South and SR-55 North.

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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 18-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Mission Viejo (via I-405 South and I-5 South and SR-55 North) usually takes as little as 16 minutes and up to 25 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 18 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Sundays (17 minutes).

About 17 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1 mile 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 Mission Viejo 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 Mission Viejo?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 16 minutes then, versus up to 25 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Mission Viejo?

The 18-mile drive usually takes 16 to 25 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 18 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Mission Viejo?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 25 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Orange County (9 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (4 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (4 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Mission Viejo 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 →