Best Time to Drive from East Los Angeles to Costa Mesa

Right now (7:09 pm PDT): about 45 minutes via I-5 South and SR-55 South, usually 49 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 East Los Angeles 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	34	39	52	53	42	37	40	40	43	40	51	59	60	53	46	36	34
Tue	33	40	60	64	47	41	39	41	40	44	54	61	66	54	48	40	34
Wed	32	39	59	64	48	42	40	41	40	46	50	52	57	50	46	39	34
Thu	33	39	57	62	49	43	44	44	48	43	56	60	63	59	49	38	34
Fri	33	38	50	51	45	42	41	41	44	51	58	60	60	60	46	41	35
Sat	34	35	35	36	38	39	41	43	42	46	49	49	44	41	38	38	36
Sun	33	34	34	34	35	37	38	40	41	42	43	41	41	40	39	39	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from East Los Angeles to Costa Mesa (via I-5 South and SR-55 South) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 67 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 42 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central East Los Angeles 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 East Los Angeles to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 67 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from East Los Angeles to Costa Mesa?

The 38-mile drive usually takes 32 to 67 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 42 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from East Los Angeles to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 67 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (18 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (10 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (8 miles)

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

More drives

Costa Mesa to East Los Angeles (return trip) · East Los Angeles to Long Beach · East Los Angeles to Anaheim · East Los Angeles to Riverside · East Los Angeles to Santa Ana · East Los Angeles to Irvine · East Los Angeles to San Bernardino · East Los Angeles to Fontana · East Los Angeles to Oxnard · East Los Angeles to Moreno Valley · East Los Angeles to Huntington Beach · East Los Angeles to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	39	52	53	42	37	40	40	43	40	51	59	60	53	46	36	34
Tue	33	40	60	64	47	41	39	41	40	44	54	61	66	54	48	40	34
Wed	32	39	59	64	48	42	40	41	40	46	50	52	57	50	46	39	34
Thu	33	39	57	62	49	43	44	44	48	43	56	60	63	59	49	38	34
Fri	33	38	50	51	45	42	41	41	44	51	58	60	60	60	46	41	35
Sat	34	35	35	36	38	39	41	43	42	46	49	49	44	41	38	38	36
Sun	33	34	34	34	35	37	38	40	41	42	43	41	41	40	39	39	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	39	52	53	42	37	40	40	43	40	51	59	60	53	46	36	34
Tue	33	40	60	64	47	41	39	41	40	44	54	61	66	54	48	40	34
Wed	32	39	59	64	48	42	40	41	40	46	50	52	57	50	46	39	34
Thu	33	39	57	62	49	43	44	44	48	43	56	60	63	59	49	38	34
Fri	33	38	50	51	45	42	41	41	44	51	58	60	60	60	46	41	35
Sat	34	35	35	36	38	39	41	43	42	46	49	49	44	41	38	38	36
Sun	33	34	34	34	35	37	38	40	41	42	43	41	41	40	39	39	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	39	52	53	42	37	40	40	43	40	51	59	60	53	46	36	34
Tue	33	40	60	64	47	41	39	41	40	44	54	61	66	54	48	40	34
Wed	32	39	59	64	48	42	40	41	40	46	50	52	57	50	46	39	34
Thu	33	39	57	62	49	43	44	44	48	43	56	60	63	59	49	38	34
Fri	33	38	50	51	45	42	41	41	44	51	58	60	60	60	46	41	35
Sat	34	35	35	36	38	39	41	43	42	46	49	49	44	41	38	38	36
Sun	33	34	34	34	35	37	38	40	41	42	43	41	41	40	39	39	35