Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to San Clemente

Right now (7:49 pm PDT): about 27 minutes via SR-73 South and I-5 South, usually 26 at this time.

Only 74% 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Costa Mesa to San Clemente (via SR-73 South and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 28 minutes, when leaving around 9:30 am on Wednesdays. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 27 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10 am on Saturdays (27 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1 mile surface streets (1 to 2 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 San Clemente 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 San Clemente?

On weekdays, leave early in the morning or late in the evening. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 28 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to San Clemente?

The 29-mile drive usually takes 26 to 28 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 27 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to San Clemente?

Leaving around 9:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 28 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-73 South in Orange County (15 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (10 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (3 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Clemente 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 →