Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Thousand Oaks

Right now (7:09 pm PDT): about 89 minutes via I-405 North and US-101 North, usually 89 at this time.

Only 1% 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 Thousand Oaks 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	72	72	73	75	75	77	79	82	103	161	195	179	144	106	83	75	72
Tue	72	72	75	79	77	77	79	83	96	149	196	180	146	111	85	75	74
Wed	72	73	76	78	79	78	79	84	96	146	190	185	159	124	92	78	74
Thu	74	74	77	80	79	79	82	92	105	137	185	177	147	114	89	77	74
Fri	73	73	76	78	77	79	81	85	104	139	174	167	136	102	82	76	76
Sat	72	73	73	73	74	76	77	77	78	79	82	83	79	77	76	75	73
Sun	71	71	72	72	73	73	76	77	76	77	77	77	77	76	75	75	72

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Thousand Oaks (via I-405 North and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 72 minutes and up to 196 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 10:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 101 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (84 minutes).

About 80 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 Thousand Oaks 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 Thousand Oaks?

On weekdays, leave before 10:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 72 minutes then, versus up to 196 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Thousand Oaks?

The 80-mile drive usually takes 72 to 196 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 101 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Thousand Oaks?

Leaving around 3 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 196 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (37 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (23 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (16 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

Thousand Oaks 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	72	72	73	75	75	77	79	82	103	161	195	179	144	106	83	75	72
Tue	72	72	75	79	77	77	79	83	96	149	196	180	146	111	85	75	74
Wed	72	73	76	78	79	78	79	84	96	146	190	185	159	124	92	78	74
Thu	74	74	77	80	79	79	82	92	105	137	185	177	147	114	89	77	74
Fri	73	73	76	78	77	79	81	85	104	139	174	167	136	102	82	76	76
Sat	72	73	73	73	74	76	77	77	78	79	82	83	79	77	76	75	73
Sun	71	71	72	72	73	73	76	77	76	77	77	77	77	76	75	75	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	72	73	75	75	77	79	82	103	161	195	179	144	106	83	75	72
Tue	72	72	75	79	77	77	79	83	96	149	196	180	146	111	85	75	74
Wed	72	73	76	78	79	78	79	84	96	146	190	185	159	124	92	78	74
Thu	74	74	77	80	79	79	82	92	105	137	185	177	147	114	89	77	74
Fri	73	73	76	78	77	79	81	85	104	139	174	167	136	102	82	76	76
Sat	72	73	73	73	74	76	77	77	78	79	82	83	79	77	76	75	73
Sun	71	71	72	72	73	73	76	77	76	77	77	77	77	76	75	75	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	72	73	75	75	77	79	82	103	161	195	179	144	106	83	75	72
Tue	72	72	75	79	77	77	79	83	96	149	196	180	146	111	85	75	74
Wed	72	73	76	78	79	78	79	84	96	146	190	185	159	124	92	78	74
Thu	74	74	77	80	79	79	82	92	105	137	185	177	147	114	89	77	74
Fri	73	73	76	78	77	79	81	85	104	139	174	167	136	102	82	76	76
Sat	72	73	73	73	74	76	77	77	78	79	82	83	79	77	76	75	73
Sun	71	71	72	72	73	73	76	77	76	77	77	77	77	76	75	75	72