Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Pico Rivera

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 37 minutes via I-5 North and SR-55 North, usually 37 at this time.

Only 6% 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 Pico Rivera 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	29	30	32	36	35	34	34	34	36	41	46	49	49	45	35	32	30
Tue	29	30	34	39	36	35	35	36	37	41	47	52	55	50	43	32	30
Wed	29	30	34	37	37	34	34	36	38	42	49	53	56	53	40	33	30
Thu	29	31	34	37	35	35	35	36	37	41	47	52	54	49	41	33	30
Fri	29	31	32	34	34	34	36	37	40	44	50	52	53	48	38	33	30
Sat	30	30	31	31	31	32	33	33	34	34	36	37	37	35	33	33	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Pico Rivera (via I-5 North and SR-55 North) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 56 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 31 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 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 Pico Rivera 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 Pico Rivera?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 56 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Pico Rivera?

The 33-mile drive usually takes 29 to 56 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Pico Rivera?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 56 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

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

Pico Rivera 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	29	30	32	36	35	34	34	34	36	41	46	49	49	45	35	32	30
Tue	29	30	34	39	36	35	35	36	37	41	47	52	55	50	43	32	30
Wed	29	30	34	37	37	34	34	36	38	42	49	53	56	53	40	33	30
Thu	29	31	34	37	35	35	35	36	37	41	47	52	54	49	41	33	30
Fri	29	31	32	34	34	34	36	37	40	44	50	52	53	48	38	33	30
Sat	30	30	31	31	31	32	33	33	34	34	36	37	37	35	33	33	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	32	36	35	34	34	34	36	41	46	49	49	45	35	32	30
Tue	29	30	34	39	36	35	35	36	37	41	47	52	55	50	43	32	30
Wed	29	30	34	37	37	34	34	36	38	42	49	53	56	53	40	33	30
Thu	29	31	34	37	35	35	35	36	37	41	47	52	54	49	41	33	30
Fri	29	31	32	34	34	34	36	37	40	44	50	52	53	48	38	33	30
Sat	30	30	31	31	31	32	33	33	34	34	36	37	37	35	33	33	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	32	36	35	34	34	34	36	41	46	49	49	45	35	32	30
Tue	29	30	34	39	36	35	35	36	37	41	47	52	55	50	43	32	30
Wed	29	30	34	37	37	34	34	36	38	42	49	53	56	53	40	33	30
Thu	29	31	34	37	35	35	35	36	37	41	47	52	54	49	41	33	30
Fri	29	31	32	34	34	34	36	37	40	44	50	52	53	48	38	33	30
Sat	30	30	31	31	31	32	33	33	34	34	36	37	37	35	33	33	30
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	31	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	30