Best Time to Drive from Manhattan Beach to Costa Mesa

Right now (5:06 pm PST): about 62 minutes via I-405 South, usually 49 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 Manhattan Beach 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	36	38	39	41	42	42	42	42	42	43	43	43	44	42	39	38	37
Tue	37	38	40	41	42	43	42	42	42	42	43	43	44	43	39	39	38
Wed	38	38	39	42	42	43	43	43	43	44	44	45	49	49	45	39	38
Thu	37	38	39	40	41	42	42	42	43	44	44	46	48	50	47	40	37
Fri	37	37	39	41	41	41	42	42	42	43	43	43	45	48	46	42	38
Sat	36	39	39	39	40	41	42	44	43	43	44	45	48	46	46	49	38
Sun	37	37	39	39	40	42	44	44	45	45	45	46	49	48	46	40	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from Manhattan Beach to Costa Mesa (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 36 minutes and up to 50 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 42 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (49 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Manhattan Beach 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 Manhattan Beach to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 50 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Manhattan Beach to Costa Mesa?

The 39-mile drive usually takes 36 to 50 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 42 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Manhattan Beach to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 50 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Orange County (16 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (16 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 Manhattan Beach (return trip) · Manhattan Beach to Los Angeles · Manhattan Beach to Long Beach · Manhattan Beach to Anaheim · Manhattan Beach to Riverside · Manhattan Beach to Santa Ana · Manhattan Beach to Irvine · Manhattan Beach to San Bernardino · Manhattan Beach to Fontana · Manhattan Beach to Moreno Valley · Manhattan Beach to Huntington Beach · Manhattan Beach 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	36	38	39	41	42	42	42	42	42	43	43	43	44	42	39	38	37
Tue	37	38	40	41	42	43	42	42	42	42	43	43	44	43	39	39	38
Wed	38	38	39	42	42	43	43	43	43	44	44	45	49	49	45	39	38
Thu	37	38	39	40	41	42	42	42	43	44	44	46	48	50	47	40	37
Fri	37	37	39	41	41	41	42	42	42	43	43	43	45	48	46	42	38
Sat	36	39	39	39	40	41	42	44	43	43	44	45	48	46	46	49	38
Sun	37	37	39	39	40	42	44	44	45	45	45	46	49	48	46	40	37

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

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