Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to North Hollywood

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 65 minutes via I-5 North and US-101 North, usually 69 at this time.

Only 7% 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 North Hollywood 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	49	57	61	67	61	56	56	56	57	62	65	70	69	66	54	50	48
Tue	49	58	66	69	62	60	57	57	58	64	70	75	77	76	62	51	49
Wed	49	56	62	65	61	58	57	57	58	64	74	78	78	74	59	52	49
Thu	49	56	63	66	60	59	58	57	58	65	83	92	80	74	63	53	49
Fri	48	56	56	57	57	58	59	64	66	89	92	95	84	76	62	53	50
Sat	48	50	51	51	53	55	59	62	61	61	63	71	65	58	56	54	50
Sun	48	49	48	49	51	52	55	57	56	56	58	56	56	58	57	55	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from Costa Mesa to North Hollywood (via I-5 North and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 99 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 60 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (73 minutes).

About 53 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 North Hollywood 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 North Hollywood?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 99 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to North Hollywood?

The 55-mile drive usually takes 48 to 99 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 60 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to North Hollywood?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 99 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (22 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (12 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (10 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

North Hollywood 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	49	57	61	67	61	56	56	56	57	62	65	70	69	66	54	50	48
Tue	49	58	66	69	62	60	57	57	58	64	70	75	77	76	62	51	49
Wed	49	56	62	65	61	58	57	57	58	64	74	78	78	74	59	52	49
Thu	49	56	63	66	60	59	58	57	58	65	83	92	80	74	63	53	49
Fri	48	56	56	57	57	58	59	64	66	89	92	95	84	76	62	53	50
Sat	48	50	51	51	53	55	59	62	61	61	63	71	65	58	56	54	50
Sun	48	49	48	49	51	52	55	57	56	56	58	56	56	58	57	55	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	57	61	67	61	56	56	56	57	62	65	70	69	66	54	50	48
Tue	49	58	66	69	62	60	57	57	58	64	70	75	77	76	62	51	49
Wed	49	56	62	65	61	58	57	57	58	64	74	78	78	74	59	52	49
Thu	49	56	63	66	60	59	58	57	58	65	83	92	80	74	63	53	49
Fri	48	56	56	57	57	58	59	64	66	89	92	95	84	76	62	53	50
Sat	48	50	51	51	53	55	59	62	61	61	63	71	65	58	56	54	50
Sun	48	49	48	49	51	52	55	57	56	56	58	56	56	58	57	55	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	57	61	67	61	56	56	56	57	62	65	70	69	66	54	50	48
Tue	49	58	66	69	62	60	57	57	58	64	70	75	77	76	62	51	49
Wed	49	56	62	65	61	58	57	57	58	64	74	78	78	74	59	52	49
Thu	49	56	63	66	60	59	58	57	58	65	83	92	80	74	63	53	49
Fri	48	56	56	57	57	58	59	64	66	89	92	95	84	76	62	53	50
Sat	48	50	51	51	53	55	59	62	61	61	63	71	65	58	56	54	50
Sun	48	49	48	49	51	52	55	57	56	56	58	56	56	58	57	55	50