Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Poway

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 88 minutes via I-5 South, usually 79 at this time.

Only 69% 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 Poway 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	77	79	89	85	81	81	81	81	81	82	86	86	81	79	78	78	77
Tue	78	80	94	93	84	83	82	82	82	84	90	90	85	80	79	78	77
Wed	77	80	94	92	83	82	82	83	82	86	91	90	86	81	79	78	78
Thu	77	80	94	89	83	84	83	82	82	86	91	92	85	81	80	79	77
Fri	78	80	84	81	81	86	90	93	98	100	101	102	93	85	82	79	77
Sat	78	77	78	80	88	97	99	99	98	93	93	95	87	83	80	79	77
Sun	78	77	77	78	79	81	89	86	86	88	84	84	82	80	81	81	77

About this drive

On weekdays the 86-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Poway (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 77 minutes and up to 102 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 85 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10:30 am on Saturdays (100 minutes).

About 80 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 11 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 Poway 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 Poway?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 77 minutes then, versus up to 102 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 86-mile drive usually takes 77 to 102 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 85 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Poway?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 102 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (35 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (18 miles) · SR-73 South in Orange County (15 miles) · SR-56 East in San Diego (9 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (3 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

Poway 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	77	79	89	85	81	81	81	81	81	82	86	86	81	79	78	78	77
Tue	78	80	94	93	84	83	82	82	82	84	90	90	85	80	79	78	77
Wed	77	80	94	92	83	82	82	83	82	86	91	90	86	81	79	78	78
Thu	77	80	94	89	83	84	83	82	82	86	91	92	85	81	80	79	77
Fri	78	80	84	81	81	86	90	93	98	100	101	102	93	85	82	79	77
Sat	78	77	78	80	88	97	99	99	98	93	93	95	87	83	80	79	77
Sun	78	77	77	78	79	81	89	86	86	88	84	84	82	80	81	81	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	79	89	85	81	81	81	81	81	82	86	86	81	79	78	78	77
Tue	78	80	94	93	84	83	82	82	82	84	90	90	85	80	79	78	77
Wed	77	80	94	92	83	82	82	83	82	86	91	90	86	81	79	78	78
Thu	77	80	94	89	83	84	83	82	82	86	91	92	85	81	80	79	77
Fri	78	80	84	81	81	86	90	93	98	100	101	102	93	85	82	79	77
Sat	78	77	78	80	88	97	99	99	98	93	93	95	87	83	80	79	77
Sun	78	77	77	78	79	81	89	86	86	88	84	84	82	80	81	81	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	79	89	85	81	81	81	81	81	82	86	86	81	79	78	78	77
Tue	78	80	94	93	84	83	82	82	82	84	90	90	85	80	79	78	77
Wed	77	80	94	92	83	82	82	83	82	86	91	90	86	81	79	78	78
Thu	77	80	94	89	83	84	83	82	82	86	91	92	85	81	80	79	77
Fri	78	80	84	81	81	86	90	93	98	100	101	102	93	85	82	79	77
Sat	78	77	78	80	88	97	99	99	98	93	93	95	87	83	80	79	77
Sun	78	77	77	78	79	81	89	86	86	88	84	84	82	80	81	81	77