Best Time to Drive from Northridge to Costa Mesa

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 83 minutes via I-405 South, usually 96 at this time.

None 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 Northridge 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	59	63	83	81	71	68	68	74	90	97	113	115	113	96	70	65	61
Tue	60	65	86	98	89	74	71	106	148	190	223	211	171	130	91	71	59
Wed	59	64	79	95	90	73	71	92	163	229	226	215	180	138	101	77	60
Thu	59	63	82	89	83	71	75	101	149	194	181	176	162	144	117	85	61
Fri	60	62	71	75	70	68	79	141	163	154	133	140	142	125	106	83	62
Sat	60	60	59	61	63	66	76	85	88	103	98	94	85	75	70	69	60
Sun	59	60	59	61	63	65	67	71	75	77	74	75	74	69	69	67	60

About this drive

On weekdays the 66-mile drive from Northridge to Costa Mesa (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 59 minutes and up to 229 minutes, when leaving around 2 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 122 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (103 minutes).

About 61 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northridge 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 Northridge to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 59 minutes then, versus up to 229 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 66-mile drive usually takes 59 to 229 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 122 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 2 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 229 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (42 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (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 Northridge (return trip) · Northridge to Los Angeles · Northridge to Rancho Cucamonga · Northridge to Long Beach · Northridge to Anaheim · Northridge to Riverside · Northridge to Santa Ana · Northridge to Irvine · Northridge to Fontana · Northridge to Oxnard · Northridge to Huntington Beach · Northridge 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	59	63	83	81	71	68	68	74	90	97	113	115	113	96	70	65	61
Tue	60	65	86	98	89	74	71	106	148	190	223	211	171	130	91	71	59
Wed	59	64	79	95	90	73	71	92	163	229	226	215	180	138	101	77	60
Thu	59	63	82	89	83	71	75	101	149	194	181	176	162	144	117	85	61
Fri	60	62	71	75	70	68	79	141	163	154	133	140	142	125	106	83	62
Sat	60	60	59	61	63	66	76	85	88	103	98	94	85	75	70	69	60
Sun	59	60	59	61	63	65	67	71	75	77	74	75	74	69	69	67	60

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	63	83	81	71	68	68	74	90	97	113	115	113	96	70	65	61
Tue	60	65	86	98	89	74	71	106	148	190	223	211	171	130	91	71	59
Wed	59	64	79	95	90	73	71	92	163	229	226	215	180	138	101	77	60
Thu	59	63	82	89	83	71	75	101	149	194	181	176	162	144	117	85	61
Fri	60	62	71	75	70	68	79	141	163	154	133	140	142	125	106	83	62
Sat	60	60	59	61	63	66	76	85	88	103	98	94	85	75	70	69	60
Sun	59	60	59	61	63	65	67	71	75	77	74	75	74	69	69	67	60

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	63	83	81	71	68	68	74	90	97	113	115	113	96	70	65	61
Tue	60	65	86	98	89	74	71	106	148	190	223	211	171	130	91	71	59
Wed	59	64	79	95	90	73	71	92	163	229	226	215	180	138	101	77	60
Thu	59	63	82	89	83	71	75	101	149	194	181	176	162	144	117	85	61
Fri	60	62	71	75	70	68	79	141	163	154	133	140	142	125	106	83	62
Sat	60	60	59	61	63	66	76	85	88	103	98	94	85	75	70	69	60
Sun	59	60	59	61	63	65	67	71	75	77	74	75	74	69	69	67	60