Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Valencia

Right now (6:53 pm PDT): about 99 minutes via I-5 North, usually 95 at this time.

Only 33% 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 Valencia 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	71	86	92	98	96	90	89	89	93	99	104	106	101	93	79	75	72
Tue	70	85	93	102	98	93	88	87	89	96	107	120	110	98	87	77	74
Wed	70	84	90	95	98	90	87	87	90	95	104	111	108	103	89	77	71
Thu	70	84	96	100	98	92	93	91	91	105	122	127	110	100	95	79	72
Fri	71	84	87	91	99	98	98	105	107	109	117	115	114	100	88	82	73
Sat	71	73	74	75	85	100	103	96	99	95	94	95	90	89	89	80	72
Sun	71	71	71	72	74	85	100	114	116	119	104	90	90	88	88	83	72

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Valencia (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 70 minutes and up to 130 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 94 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (119 minutes).

About 80 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.6 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 Valencia 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 Valencia?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 70 minutes then, versus up to 130 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Valencia?

The 80-mile drive usually takes 70 to 130 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 94 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Valencia?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 130 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (49 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

Valencia 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	71	86	92	98	96	90	89	89	93	99	104	106	101	93	79	75	72
Tue	70	85	93	102	98	93	88	87	89	96	107	120	110	98	87	77	74
Wed	70	84	90	95	98	90	87	87	90	95	104	111	108	103	89	77	71
Thu	70	84	96	100	98	92	93	91	91	105	122	127	110	100	95	79	72
Fri	71	84	87	91	99	98	98	105	107	109	117	115	114	100	88	82	73
Sat	71	73	74	75	85	100	103	96	99	95	94	95	90	89	89	80	72
Sun	71	71	71	72	74	85	100	114	116	119	104	90	90	88	88	83	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	86	92	98	96	90	89	89	93	99	104	106	101	93	79	75	72
Tue	70	85	93	102	98	93	88	87	89	96	107	120	110	98	87	77	74
Wed	70	84	90	95	98	90	87	87	90	95	104	111	108	103	89	77	71
Thu	70	84	96	100	98	92	93	91	91	105	122	127	110	100	95	79	72
Fri	71	84	87	91	99	98	98	105	107	109	117	115	114	100	88	82	73
Sat	71	73	74	75	85	100	103	96	99	95	94	95	90	89	89	80	72
Sun	71	71	71	72	74	85	100	114	116	119	104	90	90	88	88	83	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	86	92	98	96	90	89	89	93	99	104	106	101	93	79	75	72
Tue	70	85	93	102	98	93	88	87	89	96	107	120	110	98	87	77	74
Wed	70	84	90	95	98	90	87	87	90	95	104	111	108	103	89	77	71
Thu	70	84	96	100	98	92	93	91	91	105	122	127	110	100	95	79	72
Fri	71	84	87	91	99	98	98	105	107	109	117	115	114	100	88	82	73
Sat	71	73	74	75	85	100	103	96	99	95	94	95	90	89	89	80	72
Sun	71	71	71	72	74	85	100	114	116	119	104	90	90	88	88	83	72