Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Palmdale

Right now (6:18 pm PDT): about 123 minutes via I-5 North and SR-14 North, usually 124 at this time.

Only 17% 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 Palmdale 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	93	108	112	121	121	114	115	114	119	123	129	130	125	118	101	98	93
Tue	93	108	114	124	121	116	111	111	113	120	130	139	131	120	110	99	95
Wed	92	106	112	118	120	115	112	112	114	121	129	137	132	130	113	99	93
Thu	93	106	116	121	120	115	115	114	114	128	144	143	132	124	119	101	94
Fri	94	105	109	114	117	117	117	125	128	132	140	138	137	126	114	103	94
Sat	93	94	96	98	106	117	122	116	120	115	116	116	112	112	112	102	94
Sun	92	93	92	93	96	105	116	126	128	130	122	111	110	111	111	105	95

About this drive

On weekdays the 103-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Palmdale (via I-5 North and SR-14 North) usually takes as little as 92 minutes and up to 147 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 117 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (130 minutes).

About 97 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 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 Palmdale 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 Palmdale?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 92 minutes then, versus up to 147 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 103-mile drive usually takes 92 to 147 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 117 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Palmdale?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 147 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (40 miles) · SR-14 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (22 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

Palmdale 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	93	108	112	121	121	114	115	114	119	123	129	130	125	118	101	98	93
Tue	93	108	114	124	121	116	111	111	113	120	130	139	131	120	110	99	95
Wed	92	106	112	118	120	115	112	112	114	121	129	137	132	130	113	99	93
Thu	93	106	116	121	120	115	115	114	114	128	144	143	132	124	119	101	94
Fri	94	105	109	114	117	117	117	125	128	132	140	138	137	126	114	103	94
Sat	93	94	96	98	106	117	122	116	120	115	116	116	112	112	112	102	94
Sun	92	93	92	93	96	105	116	126	128	130	122	111	110	111	111	105	95

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	93	108	112	121	121	114	115	114	119	123	129	130	125	118	101	98	93
Tue	93	108	114	124	121	116	111	111	113	120	130	139	131	120	110	99	95
Wed	92	106	112	118	120	115	112	112	114	121	129	137	132	130	113	99	93
Thu	93	106	116	121	120	115	115	114	114	128	144	143	132	124	119	101	94
Fri	94	105	109	114	117	117	117	125	128	132	140	138	137	126	114	103	94
Sat	93	94	96	98	106	117	122	116	120	115	116	116	112	112	112	102	94
Sun	92	93	92	93	96	105	116	126	128	130	122	111	110	111	111	105	95

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	93	108	112	121	121	114	115	114	119	123	129	130	125	118	101	98	93
Tue	93	108	114	124	121	116	111	111	113	120	130	139	131	120	110	99	95
Wed	92	106	112	118	120	115	112	112	114	121	129	137	132	130	113	99	93
Thu	93	106	116	121	120	115	115	114	114	128	144	143	132	124	119	101	94
Fri	94	105	109	114	117	117	117	125	128	132	140	138	137	126	114	103	94
Sat	93	94	96	98	106	117	122	116	120	115	116	116	112	112	112	102	94
Sun	92	93	92	93	96	105	116	126	128	130	122	111	110	111	111	105	95