Best Time to Drive from Costa Mesa to Whittier

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 45 minutes via I-405 North and I-605 North, usually 38 at this time.

Only 5% 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 Whittier 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	32	33	36	39	38	38	38	38	38	41	43	51	53	49	36	35	34
Tue	32	33	39	43	39	38	38	38	38	41	45	52	56	50	40	35	33
Wed	32	34	37	42	40	38	38	38	39	41	47	52	54	50	41	37	34
Thu	32	33	36	39	39	38	38	39	39	41	45	50	52	46	40	39	33
Fri	32	33	36	37	37	37	39	39	39	44	47	48	49	45	40	38	34
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	36	38	38	37	36	36	36	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	35	37	37	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from Costa Mesa to Whittier (via I-405 North and I-605 North) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 56 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 6 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 Whittier 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 Whittier?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 56 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 36-mile drive usually takes 32 to 56 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Costa Mesa to Whittier?

Leaving around 5 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 56 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Orange County (14 miles) · I-605 North in Orange County (11 miles) · SR-55 North in Orange County (3 miles) · I-605 North in Los Angeles (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

Whittier 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	32	33	36	39	38	38	38	38	38	41	43	51	53	49	36	35	34
Tue	32	33	39	43	39	38	38	38	38	41	45	52	56	50	40	35	33
Wed	32	34	37	42	40	38	38	38	39	41	47	52	54	50	41	37	34
Thu	32	33	36	39	39	38	38	39	39	41	45	50	52	46	40	39	33
Fri	32	33	36	37	37	37	39	39	39	44	47	48	49	45	40	38	34
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	36	38	38	37	36	36	36	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	35	37	37	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	36	39	38	38	38	38	38	41	43	51	53	49	36	35	34
Tue	32	33	39	43	39	38	38	38	38	41	45	52	56	50	40	35	33
Wed	32	34	37	42	40	38	38	38	39	41	47	52	54	50	41	37	34
Thu	32	33	36	39	39	38	38	39	39	41	45	50	52	46	40	39	33
Fri	32	33	36	37	37	37	39	39	39	44	47	48	49	45	40	38	34
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	36	38	38	37	36	36	36	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	35	37	37	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	36	39	38	38	38	38	38	41	43	51	53	49	36	35	34
Tue	32	33	39	43	39	38	38	38	38	41	45	52	56	50	40	35	33
Wed	32	34	37	42	40	38	38	38	39	41	47	52	54	50	41	37	34
Thu	32	33	36	39	39	38	38	39	39	41	45	50	52	46	40	39	33
Fri	32	33	36	37	37	37	39	39	39	44	47	48	49	45	40	38	34
Sat	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	36	38	38	37	36	36	36	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	35	37	37	35