Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Northridge

Right now (7:49 pm PDT): about 67 minutes via I-405 North, usually 64 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 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	60	91	107	98	98	91	83	85	88	93	98	100	90	72	64	63	60
Tue	59	123	154	135	113	104	91	82	80	85	94	99	95	79	65	62	62
Wed	59	112	161	142	114	100	87	82	83	90	98	103	98	84	67	64	60
Thu	59	122	154	142	119	107	88	85	83	90	103	106	99	84	65	64	61
Fri	59	112	137	109	101	93	105	100	94	101	96	87	80	73	65	64	64
Sat	61	63	64	68	74	82	92	87	96	95	85	85	78	73	74	67	60
Sun	60	60	63	62	63	69	78	81	101	97	90	71	72	67	67	66	61

About this drive

On weekdays the 66-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Northridge (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 59 minutes and up to 161 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 87 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (101 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 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 59 minutes then, versus up to 161 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 66-mile drive usually takes 59 to 161 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 87 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Northridge?

Leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 161 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	60	91	107	98	98	91	83	85	88	93	98	100	90	72	64	63	60
Tue	59	123	154	135	113	104	91	82	80	85	94	99	95	79	65	62	62
Wed	59	112	161	142	114	100	87	82	83	90	98	103	98	84	67	64	60
Thu	59	122	154	142	119	107	88	85	83	90	103	106	99	84	65	64	61
Fri	59	112	137	109	101	93	105	100	94	101	96	87	80	73	65	64	64
Sat	61	63	64	68	74	82	92	87	96	95	85	85	78	73	74	67	60
Sun	60	60	63	62	63	69	78	81	101	97	90	71	72	67	67	66	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	60	91	107	98	98	91	83	85	88	93	98	100	90	72	64	63	60
Tue	59	123	154	135	113	104	91	82	80	85	94	99	95	79	65	62	62
Wed	59	112	161	142	114	100	87	82	83	90	98	103	98	84	67	64	60
Thu	59	122	154	142	119	107	88	85	83	90	103	106	99	84	65	64	61
Fri	59	112	137	109	101	93	105	100	94	101	96	87	80	73	65	64	64
Sat	61	63	64	68	74	82	92	87	96	95	85	85	78	73	74	67	60
Sun	60	60	63	62	63	69	78	81	101	97	90	71	72	67	67	66	61

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	60	91	107	98	98	91	83	85	88	93	98	100	90	72	64	63	60
Tue	59	123	154	135	113	104	91	82	80	85	94	99	95	79	65	62	62
Wed	59	112	161	142	114	100	87	82	83	90	98	103	98	84	67	64	60
Thu	59	122	154	142	119	107	88	85	83	90	103	106	99	84	65	64	61
Fri	59	112	137	109	101	93	105	100	94	101	96	87	80	73	65	64	64
Sat	61	63	64	68	74	82	92	87	96	95	85	85	78	73	74	67	60
Sun	60	60	63	62	63	69	78	81	101	97	90	71	72	67	67	66	61