Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Northridge

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 81 minutes via I-405 North, usually 84 at this time.

Only 1% 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 Northridge 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	59	79	96	89	87	82	74	76	78	81	89	98	102	82	64	64	61
Tue	59	112	150	132	110	100	88	79	79	84	96	107	107	88	70	63	61
Wed	59	106	159	141	113	99	86	82	82	89	102	112	111	92	71	66	61
Thu	58	105	145	123	102	101	85	83	77	86	95	112	104	87	70	67	60
Fri	58	103	131	102	93	85	95	89	89	99	100	94	91	82	70	67	61
Sat	60	61	62	66	70	77	87	84	91	89	85	84	77	74	73	70	60
Sun	60	60	62	61	63	68	77	80	98	91	89	74	76	73	72	72	63

About this drive

On weekdays the 66-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Northridge (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 58 minutes and up to 159 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 83 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (98 minutes).

About 61 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 10 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 Northridge 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 Northridge?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 58 minutes then, versus up to 159 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Northridge?

The 66-mile drive usually takes 58 to 159 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 83 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Northridge?

Leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 159 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (41 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

Northridge 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	59	79	96	89	87	82	74	76	78	81	89	98	102	82	64	64	61
Tue	59	112	150	132	110	100	88	79	79	84	96	107	107	88	70	63	61
Wed	59	106	159	141	113	99	86	82	82	89	102	112	111	92	71	66	61
Thu	58	105	145	123	102	101	85	83	77	86	95	112	104	87	70	67	60
Fri	58	103	131	102	93	85	95	89	89	99	100	94	91	82	70	67	61
Sat	60	61	62	66	70	77	87	84	91	89	85	84	77	74	73	70	60
Sun	60	60	62	61	63	68	77	80	98	91	89	74	76	73	72	72	63

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	79	96	89	87	82	74	76	78	81	89	98	102	82	64	64	61
Tue	59	112	150	132	110	100	88	79	79	84	96	107	107	88	70	63	61
Wed	59	106	159	141	113	99	86	82	82	89	102	112	111	92	71	66	61
Thu	58	105	145	123	102	101	85	83	77	86	95	112	104	87	70	67	60
Fri	58	103	131	102	93	85	95	89	89	99	100	94	91	82	70	67	61
Sat	60	61	62	66	70	77	87	84	91	89	85	84	77	74	73	70	60
Sun	60	60	62	61	63	68	77	80	98	91	89	74	76	73	72	72	63

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	79	96	89	87	82	74	76	78	81	89	98	102	82	64	64	61
Tue	59	112	150	132	110	100	88	79	79	84	96	107	107	88	70	63	61
Wed	59	106	159	141	113	99	86	82	82	89	102	112	111	92	71	66	61
Thu	58	105	145	123	102	101	85	83	77	86	95	112	104	87	70	67	60
Fri	58	103	131	102	93	85	95	89	89	99	100	94	91	82	70	67	61
Sat	60	61	62	66	70	77	87	84	91	89	85	84	77	74	73	70	60
Sun	60	60	62	61	63	68	77	80	98	91	89	74	76	73	72	72	63