Best Time to Drive from Downey to Costa Mesa

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 35 minutes via I-405 South and I-605 South, usually 38 at this time.

Only 8% 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 Downey to Costa Mesa 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	28	30	34	37	35	33	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	33	31	29	28
Tue	28	29	35	43	39	34	33	32	32	35	34	36	38	36	32	29	28
Wed	29	30	35	41	37	34	33	33	33	33	34	36	39	37	33	30	29
Thu	28	30	36	42	37	34	33	33	33	35	36	38	40	39	35	31	28
Fri	28	29	32	35	33	34	34	34	34	35	36	37	38	38	34	31	29
Sat	28	28	29	29	30	31	31	32	33	33	34	35	36	34	33	33	28
Sun	29	28	29	29	29	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	32	32	29	28

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Downey to Costa Mesa (via I-405 South and I-605 South) usually takes as little as 28 minutes and up to 45 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (36 minutes).

About 27 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Downey to central Costa Mesa 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 Downey to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 45 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 28 to 45 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Downey to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 45 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Orange County (14 miles) · I-605 South in Orange County (10 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (2 miles)

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

More drives

Costa Mesa to Downey (return trip) · Downey to Los Angeles · Downey to Santa Monica · Downey to Long Beach · Downey to West Covina · Downey to Burbank · Downey to Glendale · Downey to Santa Clarita · Downey to Van Nuys · Downey to LAX · Downey to Hollywood · Downey to Culver City

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	30	34	37	35	33	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	33	31	29	28
Tue	28	29	35	43	39	34	33	32	32	35	34	36	38	36	32	29	28
Wed	29	30	35	41	37	34	33	33	33	33	34	36	39	37	33	30	29
Thu	28	30	36	42	37	34	33	33	33	35	36	38	40	39	35	31	28
Fri	28	29	32	35	33	34	34	34	34	35	36	37	38	38	34	31	29
Sat	28	28	29	29	30	31	31	32	33	33	34	35	36	34	33	33	28
Sun	29	28	29	29	29	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	32	32	29	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	30	34	37	35	33	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	33	31	29	28
Tue	28	29	35	43	39	34	33	32	32	35	34	36	38	36	32	29	28
Wed	29	30	35	41	37	34	33	33	33	33	34	36	39	37	33	30	29
Thu	28	30	36	42	37	34	33	33	33	35	36	38	40	39	35	31	28
Fri	28	29	32	35	33	34	34	34	34	35	36	37	38	38	34	31	29
Sat	28	28	29	29	30	31	31	32	33	33	34	35	36	34	33	33	28
Sun	29	28	29	29	29	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	32	32	29	28

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	30	34	37	35	33	32	33	33	33	34	35	36	33	31	29	28
Tue	28	29	35	43	39	34	33	32	32	35	34	36	38	36	32	29	28
Wed	29	30	35	41	37	34	33	33	33	33	34	36	39	37	33	30	29
Thu	28	30	36	42	37	34	33	33	33	35	36	38	40	39	35	31	28
Fri	28	29	32	35	33	34	34	34	34	35	36	37	38	38	34	31	29
Sat	28	28	29	29	30	31	31	32	33	33	34	35	36	34	33	33	28
Sun	29	28	29	29	29	30	31	31	31	31	31	32	33	32	32	29	28