Best Time to Drive from Palmdale to Costa Mesa

Right now (8:16 pm PST): about 116 minutes via I-5 South, usually 103 at this time.

Only 21% 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 Palmdale 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	113	131	130	117	116	120	120	121	125	137	145	139	130	115	110	106	104
Tue	112	138	139	123	122	123	122	130	128	140	153	145	133	122	111	105	104
Wed	112	139	138	126	122	122	123	123	127	132	134	133	125	116	112	107	105
Thu	111	135	139	124	125	127	128	129	134	145	148	146	135	120	112	111	105
Fri	110	128	131	123	122	121	123	130	139	144	145	143	136	120	114	106	105
Sat	105	107	108	112	114	116	118	121	124	122	123	123	121	115	114	108	106
Sun	105	105	105	106	110	113	118	118	120	119	119	117	117	116	115	107	104

About this drive

On weekdays the 94-mile drive from Palmdale to Costa Mesa (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 103 minutes and up to 154 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 130 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (124 minutes).

About 54 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 40 miles surface streets (57 to 70 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Palmdale 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 Palmdale to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 103 minutes then, versus up to 154 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 94-mile drive usually takes 103 to 154 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 130 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Palmdale to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 154 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (17 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (8 miles) · SR-2 West in Los Angeles (8 miles) · I-210 West in Los Angeles (1.3 miles)

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

More drives

Costa Mesa to Palmdale (return trip) · Palmdale to Los Angeles · Palmdale to Long Beach · Palmdale to Anaheim · Palmdale to Riverside · Palmdale to Santa Ana · Palmdale to Irvine · Palmdale to Oxnard · Palmdale to Moreno Valley · Palmdale to Huntington Beach · Palmdale to Glendale · Palmdale to Santa Clarita

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	113	131	130	117	116	120	120	121	125	137	145	139	130	115	110	106	104
Tue	112	138	139	123	122	123	122	130	128	140	153	145	133	122	111	105	104
Wed	112	139	138	126	122	122	123	123	127	132	134	133	125	116	112	107	105
Thu	111	135	139	124	125	127	128	129	134	145	148	146	135	120	112	111	105
Fri	110	128	131	123	122	121	123	130	139	144	145	143	136	120	114	106	105
Sat	105	107	108	112	114	116	118	121	124	122	123	123	121	115	114	108	106
Sun	105	105	105	106	110	113	118	118	120	119	119	117	117	116	115	107	104

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	113	131	130	117	116	120	120	121	125	137	145	139	130	115	110	106	104
Tue	112	138	139	123	122	123	122	130	128	140	153	145	133	122	111	105	104
Wed	112	139	138	126	122	122	123	123	127	132	134	133	125	116	112	107	105
Thu	111	135	139	124	125	127	128	129	134	145	148	146	135	120	112	111	105
Fri	110	128	131	123	122	121	123	130	139	144	145	143	136	120	114	106	105
Sat	105	107	108	112	114	116	118	121	124	122	123	123	121	115	114	108	106
Sun	105	105	105	106	110	113	118	118	120	119	119	117	117	116	115	107	104

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	113	131	130	117	116	120	120	121	125	137	145	139	130	115	110	106	104
Tue	112	138	139	123	122	123	122	130	128	140	153	145	133	122	111	105	104
Wed	112	139	138	126	122	122	123	123	127	132	134	133	125	116	112	107	105
Thu	111	135	139	124	125	127	128	129	134	145	148	146	135	120	112	111	105
Fri	110	128	131	123	122	121	123	130	139	144	145	143	136	120	114	106	105
Sat	105	107	108	112	114	116	118	121	124	122	123	123	121	115	114	108	106
Sun	105	105	105	106	110	113	118	118	120	119	119	117	117	116	115	107	104