Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Santa Clarita

Right now (5:17 pm PDT): about 101 minutes via I-5 North, usually 101 at this time.

Only 35% 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 Santa Clarita 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	67	84	90	94	91	85	83	83	86	93	98	100	94	88	73	70	67
Tue	67	86	94	98	93	88	83	82	84	91	100	109	101	90	81	71	68
Wed	66	80	88	92	93	86	83	82	85	90	99	107	103	99	83	73	67
Thu	67	84	93	93	92	87	86	84	85	96	112	112	101	92	89	74	67
Fri	67	79	82	86	90	90	88	95	98	100	108	106	106	93	82	76	68
Sat	66	68	70	70	79	89	94	89	91	89	89	90	85	84	83	76	68
Sun	66	67	67	67	69	77	88	97	99	101	96	84	84	83	83	78	68

About this drive

On weekdays the 74-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Santa Clarita (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 66 minutes and up to 115 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 88 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (101 minutes).

About 69 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 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 Santa Clarita 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 Santa Clarita?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 66 minutes then, versus up to 115 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Santa Clarita?

The 74-mile drive usually takes 66 to 115 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 88 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Santa Clarita?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 115 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (39 miles) · 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

Santa Clarita 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 Oceanside · Costa Mesa to Garden Grove

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	84	90	94	91	85	83	83	86	93	98	100	94	88	73	70	67
Tue	67	86	94	98	93	88	83	82	84	91	100	109	101	90	81	71	68
Wed	66	80	88	92	93	86	83	82	85	90	99	107	103	99	83	73	67
Thu	67	84	93	93	92	87	86	84	85	96	112	112	101	92	89	74	67
Fri	67	79	82	86	90	90	88	95	98	100	108	106	106	93	82	76	68
Sat	66	68	70	70	79	89	94	89	91	89	89	90	85	84	83	76	68
Sun	66	67	67	67	69	77	88	97	99	101	96	84	84	83	83	78	68

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	84	90	94	91	85	83	83	86	93	98	100	94	88	73	70	67
Tue	67	86	94	98	93	88	83	82	84	91	100	109	101	90	81	71	68
Wed	66	80	88	92	93	86	83	82	85	90	99	107	103	99	83	73	67
Thu	67	84	93	93	92	87	86	84	85	96	112	112	101	92	89	74	67
Fri	67	79	82	86	90	90	88	95	98	100	108	106	106	93	82	76	68
Sat	66	68	70	70	79	89	94	89	91	89	89	90	85	84	83	76	68
Sun	66	67	67	67	69	77	88	97	99	101	96	84	84	83	83	78	68

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	84	90	94	91	85	83	83	86	93	98	100	94	88	73	70	67
Tue	67	86	94	98	93	88	83	82	84	91	100	109	101	90	81	71	68
Wed	66	80	88	92	93	86	83	82	85	90	99	107	103	99	83	73	67
Thu	67	84	93	93	92	87	86	84	85	96	112	112	101	92	89	74	67
Fri	67	79	82	86	90	90	88	95	98	100	108	106	106	93	82	76	68
Sat	66	68	70	70	79	89	94	89	91	89	89	90	85	84	83	76	68
Sun	66	67	67	67	69	77	88	97	99	101	96	84	84	83	83	78	68