Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to San Marcos

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 104 minutes via I-5 South and SR-73 South, usually 71 at this time.

Only 14% 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 San Marcos 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	59	60	61	60	61	61	61	61	61	61	62	61	60	60	59	59	58
Tue	59	61	64	62	62	63	61	62	61	62	64	64	61	61	60	60	59
Wed	58	61	65	60	61	62	62	63	62	64	67	65	63	61	60	60	59
Thu	59	61	63	60	61	64	64	62	63	66	68	68	62	63	61	61	58
Fri	59	61	62	61	61	66	70	78	86	85	86	93	82	72	68	60	59
Sat	59	59	59	62	72	77	80	81	86	70	71	76	66	62	60	59	58
Sun	59	59	59	59	60	61	69	65	64	78	65	65	62	61	61	61	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 66-mile drive from Costa Mesa to San Marcos (via I-5 South and SR-73 South) usually takes as little as 58 minutes and up to 93 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 10:30 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 66 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (86 minutes).

About 64 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.6 miles surface streets (2 to 4 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 Marcos 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 Marcos?

On weekdays, leave before 10:30 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 58 minutes then, versus up to 93 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 66-mile drive usually takes 58 to 93 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 66 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to San Marcos?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 93 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (17 miles) · SR-73 South in Orange County (15 miles) · SR-78 East in San Diego (10 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

San Marcos 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	59	60	61	60	61	61	61	61	61	61	62	61	60	60	59	59	58
Tue	59	61	64	62	62	63	61	62	61	62	64	64	61	61	60	60	59
Wed	58	61	65	60	61	62	62	63	62	64	67	65	63	61	60	60	59
Thu	59	61	63	60	61	64	64	62	63	66	68	68	62	63	61	61	58
Fri	59	61	62	61	61	66	70	78	86	85	86	93	82	72	68	60	59
Sat	59	59	59	62	72	77	80	81	86	70	71	76	66	62	60	59	58
Sun	59	59	59	59	60	61	69	65	64	78	65	65	62	61	61	61	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	60	61	60	61	61	61	61	61	61	62	61	60	60	59	59	58
Tue	59	61	64	62	62	63	61	62	61	62	64	64	61	61	60	60	59
Wed	58	61	65	60	61	62	62	63	62	64	67	65	63	61	60	60	59
Thu	59	61	63	60	61	64	64	62	63	66	68	68	62	63	61	61	58
Fri	59	61	62	61	61	66	70	78	86	85	86	93	82	72	68	60	59
Sat	59	59	59	62	72	77	80	81	86	70	71	76	66	62	60	59	58
Sun	59	59	59	59	60	61	69	65	64	78	65	65	62	61	61	61	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	60	61	60	61	61	61	61	61	61	62	61	60	60	59	59	58
Tue	59	61	64	62	62	63	61	62	61	62	64	64	61	61	60	60	59
Wed	58	61	65	60	61	62	62	63	62	64	67	65	63	61	60	60	59
Thu	59	61	63	60	61	64	64	62	63	66	68	68	62	63	61	61	58
Fri	59	61	62	61	61	66	70	78	86	85	86	93	82	72	68	60	59
Sat	59	59	59	62	72	77	80	81	86	70	71	76	66	62	60	59	58
Sun	59	59	59	59	60	61	69	65	64	78	65	65	62	61	61	61	58