Best Time to Drive from Mid-City to Costa Mesa

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 63 minutes via I-405 South, usually 50 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Mid-City 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	45	45	47	49	50	50	50	51	51	52	51	51	51	50	47	46	45
Tue	45	45	48	49	50	50	49	50	50	50	50	51	52	49	46	45	45
Wed	46	45	47	51	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	55	59	59	53	47	46
Thu	45	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	52	52	53	58	58	61	56	48	45
Fri	45	45	48	51	50	50	53	51	51	52	52	52	57	60	56	51	45
Sat	44	47	47	48	49	50	52	53	53	53	54	55	60	56	57	61	46
Sun	46	46	47	47	48	50	52	54	52	53	53	56	61	59	56	48	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 47-mile drive from Mid-City to Costa Mesa (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 61 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 51 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (61 minutes).

About 41 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 12 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Mid-City 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 Mid-City to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 61 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Mid-City to Costa Mesa?

The 47-mile drive usually takes 44 to 61 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 51 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Mid-City to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 61 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (22 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (16 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

Costa Mesa to Mid-City (return trip) · Mid-City to Fontana · Mid-City to Moreno Valley · Mid-City to Glendale · Mid-City to Lancaster · Mid-City to Palmdale · Mid-City to Valencia · Mid-City to Fullerton · Mid-City to East Los Angeles · Mid-City to Norwalk

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	45	47	49	50	50	50	51	51	52	51	51	51	50	47	46	45
Tue	45	45	48	49	50	50	49	50	50	50	50	51	52	49	46	45	45
Wed	46	45	47	51	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	55	59	59	53	47	46
Thu	45	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	52	52	53	58	58	61	56	48	45
Fri	45	45	48	51	50	50	53	51	51	52	52	52	57	60	56	51	45
Sat	44	47	47	48	49	50	52	53	53	53	54	55	60	56	57	61	46
Sun	46	46	47	47	48	50	52	54	52	53	53	56	61	59	56	48	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	45	47	49	50	50	50	51	51	52	51	51	51	50	47	46	45
Tue	45	45	48	49	50	50	49	50	50	50	50	51	52	49	46	45	45
Wed	46	45	47	51	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	55	59	59	53	47	46
Thu	45	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	52	52	53	58	58	61	56	48	45
Fri	45	45	48	51	50	50	53	51	51	52	52	52	57	60	56	51	45
Sat	44	47	47	48	49	50	52	53	53	53	54	55	60	56	57	61	46
Sun	46	46	47	47	48	50	52	54	52	53	53	56	61	59	56	48	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	45	47	49	50	50	50	51	51	52	51	51	51	50	47	46	45
Tue	45	45	48	49	50	50	49	50	50	50	50	51	52	49	46	45	45
Wed	46	45	47	51	51	52	52	52	52	52	52	55	59	59	53	47	46
Thu	45	47	47	49	50	51	51	51	52	52	53	58	58	61	56	48	45
Fri	45	45	48	51	50	50	53	51	51	52	52	52	57	60	56	51	45
Sat	44	47	47	48	49	50	52	53	53	53	54	55	60	56	57	61	46
Sun	46	46	47	47	48	50	52	54	52	53	53	56	61	59	56	48	45