Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from La Jolla to Costa Mesa
Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 76 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North, usually 75 at this time.
Only 38% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 72 | 72 | 73 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 76 | 77 | 76 | 76 | 78 | 86 | 85 | 76 | 74 | 74 | 73 |
| Tue | 72 | 73 | 73 | 75 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 77 | 76 | 77 | 85 | 94 | 93 | 83 | 75 | 74 | 73 |
| Wed | 72 | 73 | 74 | 76 | 77 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 77 | 78 | 87 | 98 | 99 | 85 | 76 | 74 | 72 |
| Thu | 72 | 73 | 73 | 75 | 76 | 78 | 78 | 77 | 77 | 78 | 89 | 98 | 101 | 87 | 76 | 74 | 72 |
| Fri | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 79 | 82 | 87 | 93 | 95 | 87 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 72 |
| Sat | 72 | 72 | 72 | 73 | 75 | 77 | 83 | 84 | 82 | 81 | 80 | 79 | 77 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 72 |
| Sun | 72 | 73 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 76 | 85 | 86 | 88 | 87 | 84 | 82 | 80 | 76 | 76 | 75 | 72 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 80-mile drive from La Jolla to Costa Mesa (via I-5 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 72 minutes and up to 101 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 2 pm or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 78 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (88 minutes).
About 75 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central La Jolla 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 La Jolla to Costa Mesa?
On weekdays, leave before 2 pm or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 72 minutes then, versus up to 101 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from La Jolla to Costa Mesa?
The 80-mile drive usually takes 72 to 101 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 78 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from La Jolla to Costa Mesa?
Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 101 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 North in San Diego (43 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (3 miles)
San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow
More drives
Costa Mesa to La Jolla (return trip) · La Jolla to San Diego · La Jolla to Escondido · La Jolla to Oceanside · La Jolla to Chula Vista · La Jolla to El Cajon · La Jolla to Carlsbad · La Jolla to SAN · La Jolla to Garden Grove · La Jolla to Santa Monica · La Jolla to Irvine · La Jolla to Sawtelle