Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to South Gate

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 45 minutes via I-405 North and I-710 North, usually 41 at this time.

None 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 South Gate 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	34	35	38	40	40	39	38	39	39	41	44	50	51	49	38	37	35
Tue	33	36	41	50	47	42	46	42	44	46	52	52	53	51	40	36	34
Wed	34	37	42	47	44	43	39	41	41	45	50	55	53	49	41	38	36
Thu	33	36	42	43	41	40	41	41	40	45	51	58	55	51	42	40	34
Fri	34	36	40	42	39	40	42	43	43	48	49	51	52	50	42	39	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	38	39	41	41	41	38	37	38	35
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	37	37	36	38	39	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from Costa Mesa to South Gate (via I-405 North and I-710 North) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 58 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 42 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 9 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 South Gate 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 South Gate?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 58 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to South Gate?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 33 to 58 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 42 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to South Gate?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 58 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-710 North in Los Angeles (9 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (5 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (3 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (1.6 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

South Gate 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	34	35	38	40	40	39	38	39	39	41	44	50	51	49	38	37	35
Tue	33	36	41	50	47	42	46	42	44	46	52	52	53	51	40	36	34
Wed	34	37	42	47	44	43	39	41	41	45	50	55	53	49	41	38	36
Thu	33	36	42	43	41	40	41	41	40	45	51	58	55	51	42	40	34
Fri	34	36	40	42	39	40	42	43	43	48	49	51	52	50	42	39	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	38	39	41	41	41	38	37	38	35
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	37	37	36	38	39	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	35	38	40	40	39	38	39	39	41	44	50	51	49	38	37	35
Tue	33	36	41	50	47	42	46	42	44	46	52	52	53	51	40	36	34
Wed	34	37	42	47	44	43	39	41	41	45	50	55	53	49	41	38	36
Thu	33	36	42	43	41	40	41	41	40	45	51	58	55	51	42	40	34
Fri	34	36	40	42	39	40	42	43	43	48	49	51	52	50	42	39	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	38	39	41	41	41	38	37	38	35
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	37	37	36	38	39	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	35	38	40	40	39	38	39	39	41	44	50	51	49	38	37	35
Tue	33	36	41	50	47	42	46	42	44	46	52	52	53	51	40	36	34
Wed	34	37	42	47	44	43	39	41	41	45	50	55	53	49	41	38	36
Thu	33	36	42	43	41	40	41	41	40	45	51	58	55	51	42	40	34
Fri	34	36	40	42	39	40	42	43	43	48	49	51	52	50	42	39	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	37	38	39	41	41	41	38	37	38	35
Sun	34	34	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	37	37	36	38	39	36