Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Ontario

Right now (8:16 pm PST): about 47 minutes via SR-57 North and SR-60 East and SR-55 North, usually 42 at this time.

Only 48% 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 Ontario 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	38	41	43	46	46	45	45	46	46	50	57	63	62	55	46	42	39
Tue	39	41	44	48	46	48	47	47	49	52	59	64	65	61	46	43	40
Wed	39	41	44	48	47	47	46	47	50	53	58	63	67	63	53	43	40
Thu	39	41	43	46	46	47	47	47	48	51	59	64	65	59	52	44	40
Fri	38	41	43	44	45	46	47	47	51	58	65	66	67	55	47	43	40
Sat	39	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	43	43	46	47	46	45	43	42	40
Sun	39	40	39	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	42	42	42	41	42	42	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Ontario (via SR-57 North and SR-60 East and SR-55 North) usually takes as little as 38 minutes and up to 70 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 48 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (47 minutes).

About 40 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 7 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 Ontario 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 Ontario?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 38 minutes then, versus up to 70 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 43-mile drive usually takes 38 to 70 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 48 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Ontario?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 70 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-57 North in Orange County (12 miles) · SR-60 East in Los Angeles (9 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (8 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (4 miles) · SR-57 North in Los Angeles (4 miles) · SR-60 East in Inland Empire (2 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

Ontario 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	38	41	43	46	46	45	45	46	46	50	57	63	62	55	46	42	39
Tue	39	41	44	48	46	48	47	47	49	52	59	64	65	61	46	43	40
Wed	39	41	44	48	47	47	46	47	50	53	58	63	67	63	53	43	40
Thu	39	41	43	46	46	47	47	47	48	51	59	64	65	59	52	44	40
Fri	38	41	43	44	45	46	47	47	51	58	65	66	67	55	47	43	40
Sat	39	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	43	43	46	47	46	45	43	42	40
Sun	39	40	39	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	42	42	42	41	42	42	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	41	43	46	46	45	45	46	46	50	57	63	62	55	46	42	39
Tue	39	41	44	48	46	48	47	47	49	52	59	64	65	61	46	43	40
Wed	39	41	44	48	47	47	46	47	50	53	58	63	67	63	53	43	40
Thu	39	41	43	46	46	47	47	47	48	51	59	64	65	59	52	44	40
Fri	38	41	43	44	45	46	47	47	51	58	65	66	67	55	47	43	40
Sat	39	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	43	43	46	47	46	45	43	42	40
Sun	39	40	39	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	42	42	42	41	42	42	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	41	43	46	46	45	45	46	46	50	57	63	62	55	46	42	39
Tue	39	41	44	48	46	48	47	47	49	52	59	64	65	61	46	43	40
Wed	39	41	44	48	47	47	46	47	50	53	58	63	67	63	53	43	40
Thu	39	41	43	46	46	47	47	47	48	51	59	64	65	59	52	44	40
Fri	38	41	43	44	45	46	47	47	51	58	65	66	67	55	47	43	40
Sat	39	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	43	43	46	47	46	45	43	42	40
Sun	39	40	39	40	40	41	41	42	42	42	42	42	42	41	42	42	39