Best Time to Drive from Ontario to Costa Mesa

Right now (5:17 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via SR-57 South and SR-60 West and SR-55 South, usually 52 at this time.

Only 61% 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 Ontario 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	37	56	68	66	58	50	48	47	46	45	48	49	51	45	41	40	38
Tue	37	61	72	70	58	53	52	49	47	46	48	51	53	46	40	40	38
Wed	37	61	72	71	64	57	51	51	46	47	47	50	53	48	41	40	39
Thu	37	59	67	66	59	51	53	48	50	46	49	52	53	48	41	40	38
Fri	37	50	58	54	51	49	49	48	47	49	52	53	55	49	42	40	39
Sat	38	40	41	41	42	45	51	48	50	48	46	46	45	44	40	40	39
Sun	38	38	39	39	40	41	46	47	45	43	43	41	41	40	40	40	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from Ontario to Costa Mesa (via SR-57 South and SR-60 West and SR-55 South) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 73 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 48 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 40 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Ontario 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 Ontario to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 73 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 43-mile drive usually takes 37 to 73 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 48 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Ontario to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 73 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-57 South in Orange County (12 miles) · SR-60 West in Los Angeles (8 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (8 miles) · SR-57 South in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (4 miles) · SR-60 West in Inland Empire (2 miles)

Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Costa Mesa to Ontario (return trip) · Ontario to Los Angeles · Ontario to Santa Monica · Ontario to Pasadena · Ontario to Long Beach · Ontario to West Covina · Ontario to Burbank · Ontario to Glendale · Ontario to Santa Clarita · Ontario to Van Nuys · Ontario to Torrance · Ontario to LAX

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	56	68	66	58	50	48	47	46	45	48	49	51	45	41	40	38
Tue	37	61	72	70	58	53	52	49	47	46	48	51	53	46	40	40	38
Wed	37	61	72	71	64	57	51	51	46	47	47	50	53	48	41	40	39
Thu	37	59	67	66	59	51	53	48	50	46	49	52	53	48	41	40	38
Fri	37	50	58	54	51	49	49	48	47	49	52	53	55	49	42	40	39
Sat	38	40	41	41	42	45	51	48	50	48	46	46	45	44	40	40	39
Sun	38	38	39	39	40	41	46	47	45	43	43	41	41	40	40	40	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	56	68	66	58	50	48	47	46	45	48	49	51	45	41	40	38
Tue	37	61	72	70	58	53	52	49	47	46	48	51	53	46	40	40	38
Wed	37	61	72	71	64	57	51	51	46	47	47	50	53	48	41	40	39
Thu	37	59	67	66	59	51	53	48	50	46	49	52	53	48	41	40	38
Fri	37	50	58	54	51	49	49	48	47	49	52	53	55	49	42	40	39
Sat	38	40	41	41	42	45	51	48	50	48	46	46	45	44	40	40	39
Sun	38	38	39	39	40	41	46	47	45	43	43	41	41	40	40	40	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	56	68	66	58	50	48	47	46	45	48	49	51	45	41	40	38
Tue	37	61	72	70	58	53	52	49	47	46	48	51	53	46	40	40	38
Wed	37	61	72	71	64	57	51	51	46	47	47	50	53	48	41	40	39
Thu	37	59	67	66	59	51	53	48	50	46	49	52	53	48	41	40	38
Fri	37	50	58	54	51	49	49	48	47	49	52	53	55	49	42	40	39
Sat	38	40	41	41	42	45	51	48	50	48	46	46	45	44	40	40	39
Sun	38	38	39	39	40	41	46	47	45	43	43	41	41	40	40	40	39