Best Time to Drive from Koreatown to Costa Mesa

Right now (6:53 pm PDT): about 67 minutes via I-5 South, usually 56 at this time.

Only 39% 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 Koreatown 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	42	50	66	64	53	48	52	51	55	53	69	79	76	66	53	46	44
Tue	42	51	74	74	57	51	51	53	52	58	72	84	82	69	59	49	43
Wed	41	51	75	74	59	52	52	52	53	59	65	76	75	66	57	49	43
Thu	41	49	73	74	58	54	56	56	60	59	78	81	81	72	56	48	44
Fri	42	49	63	62	56	52	53	53	59	69	77	78	76	71	56	50	45
Sat	43	44	44	47	49	50	53	54	56	59	60	61	55	53	49	50	45
Sun	42	43	42	44	45	49	50	53	53	55	55	54	54	52	51	51	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 47-mile drive from Koreatown to Costa Mesa (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 90 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 44 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (3 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Koreatown 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 Koreatown to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 90 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 47-mile drive usually takes 41 to 90 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Koreatown to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 90 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (18 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (8 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (6 miles)

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

More drives

Costa Mesa to Koreatown (return trip) · Koreatown to Fontana · Koreatown to Moreno Valley · Koreatown to Lancaster · Koreatown to Palmdale · Koreatown to Valencia · Koreatown to Fullerton · Koreatown to East Los Angeles · Koreatown to Victorville

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	50	66	64	53	48	52	51	55	53	69	79	76	66	53	46	44
Tue	42	51	74	74	57	51	51	53	52	58	72	84	82	69	59	49	43
Wed	41	51	75	74	59	52	52	52	53	59	65	76	75	66	57	49	43
Thu	41	49	73	74	58	54	56	56	60	59	78	81	81	72	56	48	44
Fri	42	49	63	62	56	52	53	53	59	69	77	78	76	71	56	50	45
Sat	43	44	44	47	49	50	53	54	56	59	60	61	55	53	49	50	45
Sun	42	43	42	44	45	49	50	53	53	55	55	54	54	52	51	51	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	50	66	64	53	48	52	51	55	53	69	79	76	66	53	46	44
Tue	42	51	74	74	57	51	51	53	52	58	72	84	82	69	59	49	43
Wed	41	51	75	74	59	52	52	52	53	59	65	76	75	66	57	49	43
Thu	41	49	73	74	58	54	56	56	60	59	78	81	81	72	56	48	44
Fri	42	49	63	62	56	52	53	53	59	69	77	78	76	71	56	50	45
Sat	43	44	44	47	49	50	53	54	56	59	60	61	55	53	49	50	45
Sun	42	43	42	44	45	49	50	53	53	55	55	54	54	52	51	51	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	50	66	64	53	48	52	51	55	53	69	79	76	66	53	46	44
Tue	42	51	74	74	57	51	51	53	52	58	72	84	82	69	59	49	43
Wed	41	51	75	74	59	52	52	52	53	59	65	76	75	66	57	49	43
Thu	41	49	73	74	58	54	56	56	60	59	78	81	81	72	56	48	44
Fri	42	49	63	62	56	52	53	53	59	69	77	78	76	71	56	50	45
Sat	43	44	44	47	49	50	53	54	56	59	60	61	55	53	49	50	45
Sun	42	43	42	44	45	49	50	53	53	55	55	54	54	52	51	51	45