Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Van Nuys

Right now (6:53 pm PDT): about 78 minutes via I-405 North, usually 68 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Van Nuys 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	55	54	56	57	57	59	60	61	69	99	127	135	114	82	63	57	55
Tue	55	55	57	60	59	59	60	62	68	91	129	137	114	85	65	57	57
Wed	55	55	57	60	61	59	60	62	68	90	122	134	121	96	71	59	56
Thu	56	56	58	60	60	60	62	66	75	86	118	132	113	87	68	59	56
Fri	55	55	57	59	59	60	61	63	72	90	111	124	106	79	63	58	58
Sat	55	55	56	55	56	57	58	58	59	59	61	62	60	58	57	57	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	55	56	57	58	57	58	58	58	58	57	57	57	55

About this drive

On weekdays the 61-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Van Nuys (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 54 minutes and up to 137 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 70 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (63 minutes).

About 59 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.8 miles surface streets (2 to 3 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 Van Nuys 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 Van Nuys?

On weekdays, leave before 8:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 54 minutes then, versus up to 137 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Costa Mesa to Van Nuys?

The 61-mile drive usually takes 54 to 137 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 70 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Van Nuys?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 137 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (39 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

Van Nuys 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	55	54	56	57	57	59	60	61	69	99	127	135	114	82	63	57	55
Tue	55	55	57	60	59	59	60	62	68	91	129	137	114	85	65	57	57
Wed	55	55	57	60	61	59	60	62	68	90	122	134	121	96	71	59	56
Thu	56	56	58	60	60	60	62	66	75	86	118	132	113	87	68	59	56
Fri	55	55	57	59	59	60	61	63	72	90	111	124	106	79	63	58	58
Sat	55	55	56	55	56	57	58	58	59	59	61	62	60	58	57	57	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	55	56	57	58	57	58	58	58	58	57	57	57	55

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	54	56	57	57	59	60	61	69	99	127	135	114	82	63	57	55
Tue	55	55	57	60	59	59	60	62	68	91	129	137	114	85	65	57	57
Wed	55	55	57	60	61	59	60	62	68	90	122	134	121	96	71	59	56
Thu	56	56	58	60	60	60	62	66	75	86	118	132	113	87	68	59	56
Fri	55	55	57	59	59	60	61	63	72	90	111	124	106	79	63	58	58
Sat	55	55	56	55	56	57	58	58	59	59	61	62	60	58	57	57	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	55	56	57	58	57	58	58	58	58	57	57	57	55

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	54	56	57	57	59	60	61	69	99	127	135	114	82	63	57	55
Tue	55	55	57	60	59	59	60	62	68	91	129	137	114	85	65	57	57
Wed	55	55	57	60	61	59	60	62	68	90	122	134	121	96	71	59	56
Thu	56	56	58	60	60	60	62	66	75	86	118	132	113	87	68	59	56
Fri	55	55	57	59	59	60	61	63	72	90	111	124	106	79	63	58	58
Sat	55	55	56	55	56	57	58	58	59	59	61	62	60	58	57	57	55
Sun	54	54	54	55	55	56	57	58	57	58	58	58	58	57	57	57	55