Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Rancho Penasquitos

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 81 minutes via I-5 South, usually 76 at this time.

Only 71% 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 Rancho Penasquitos 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	70	72	79	76	73	74	74	74	74	75	78	77	74	72	71	71	70
Tue	71	73	83	83	76	76	75	75	74	76	80	81	77	73	72	71	70
Wed	70	72	84	83	76	75	75	75	75	77	82	81	78	73	72	71	71
Thu	70	73	84	80	75	76	76	74	75	78	82	83	77	73	73	72	70
Fri	71	73	76	73	74	78	82	86	90	92	92	94	88	78	75	72	70
Sat	71	70	71	73	81	90	92	92	90	85	85	89	79	75	73	72	70
Sun	71	70	71	71	72	75	81	79	78	80	77	77	74	73	73	74	70

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Rancho Penasquitos (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 70 minutes and up to 94 minutes, when leaving around 4 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 77 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10:30 am on Saturdays (93 minutes).

About 79 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.8 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Costa Mesa to central Rancho Penasquitos 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 Rancho Penasquitos?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 70 minutes then, versus up to 94 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Rancho Penasquitos?

The 80-mile drive usually takes 70 to 94 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 77 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Rancho Penasquitos?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 94 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 (8 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

Rancho Penasquitos 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	70	72	79	76	73	74	74	74	74	75	78	77	74	72	71	71	70
Tue	71	73	83	83	76	76	75	75	74	76	80	81	77	73	72	71	70
Wed	70	72	84	83	76	75	75	75	75	77	82	81	78	73	72	71	71
Thu	70	73	84	80	75	76	76	74	75	78	82	83	77	73	73	72	70
Fri	71	73	76	73	74	78	82	86	90	92	92	94	88	78	75	72	70
Sat	71	70	71	73	81	90	92	92	90	85	85	89	79	75	73	72	70
Sun	71	70	71	71	72	75	81	79	78	80	77	77	74	73	73	74	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	72	79	76	73	74	74	74	74	75	78	77	74	72	71	71	70
Tue	71	73	83	83	76	76	75	75	74	76	80	81	77	73	72	71	70
Wed	70	72	84	83	76	75	75	75	75	77	82	81	78	73	72	71	71
Thu	70	73	84	80	75	76	76	74	75	78	82	83	77	73	73	72	70
Fri	71	73	76	73	74	78	82	86	90	92	92	94	88	78	75	72	70
Sat	71	70	71	73	81	90	92	92	90	85	85	89	79	75	73	72	70
Sun	71	70	71	71	72	75	81	79	78	80	77	77	74	73	73	74	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	72	79	76	73	74	74	74	74	75	78	77	74	72	71	71	70
Tue	71	73	83	83	76	76	75	75	74	76	80	81	77	73	72	71	70
Wed	70	72	84	83	76	75	75	75	75	77	82	81	78	73	72	71	71
Thu	70	73	84	80	75	76	76	74	75	78	82	83	77	73	73	72	70
Fri	71	73	76	73	74	78	82	86	90	92	92	94	88	78	75	72	70
Sat	71	70	71	73	81	90	92	92	90	85	85	89	79	75	73	72	70
Sun	71	70	71	71	72	75	81	79	78	80	77	77	74	73	73	74	70