Best Time to Drive from Poway to Costa Mesa

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 98 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North, usually 80 at this time.

Only 67% 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 Poway 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	77	78	79	92	88	82	82	82	81	82	85	91	90	80	79	79	78
Tue	77	78	79	95	92	84	82	82	82	83	91	98	96	86	80	79	78
Wed	77	78	80	94	91	86	83	83	82	84	94	101	98	87	80	79	77
Thu	77	78	80	94	88	85	83	83	83	84	95	100	100	89	80	79	78
Fri	77	78	80	85	84	83	83	86	88	93	99	99	90	82	81	80	77
Sat	77	77	77	79	80	84	90	91	89	87	86	85	82	80	80	80	77
Sun	77	78	77	78	79	82	91	92	93	92	89	87	84	81	81	80	77

About this drive

On weekdays the 86-mile drive from Poway to Costa Mesa (via I-5 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 77 minutes and up to 101 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 84 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (94 minutes).

About 80 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Poway 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 Poway to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 77 minutes then, versus up to 101 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 86-mile drive usually takes 77 to 101 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 84 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Poway to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 101 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (38 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-56 West in San Diego (10 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (3 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Costa Mesa to Poway (return trip) · Poway to San Diego · Poway to Chula Vista · Poway to Irvine · Poway to Moreno Valley · Poway to Oceanside · Poway to Escondido · Poway to Carlsbad

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	78	79	92	88	82	82	82	81	82	85	91	90	80	79	79	78
Tue	77	78	79	95	92	84	82	82	82	83	91	98	96	86	80	79	78
Wed	77	78	80	94	91	86	83	83	82	84	94	101	98	87	80	79	77
Thu	77	78	80	94	88	85	83	83	83	84	95	100	100	89	80	79	78
Fri	77	78	80	85	84	83	83	86	88	93	99	99	90	82	81	80	77
Sat	77	77	77	79	80	84	90	91	89	87	86	85	82	80	80	80	77
Sun	77	78	77	78	79	82	91	92	93	92	89	87	84	81	81	80	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	78	79	92	88	82	82	82	81	82	85	91	90	80	79	79	78
Tue	77	78	79	95	92	84	82	82	82	83	91	98	96	86	80	79	78
Wed	77	78	80	94	91	86	83	83	82	84	94	101	98	87	80	79	77
Thu	77	78	80	94	88	85	83	83	83	84	95	100	100	89	80	79	78
Fri	77	78	80	85	84	83	83	86	88	93	99	99	90	82	81	80	77
Sat	77	77	77	79	80	84	90	91	89	87	86	85	82	80	80	80	77
Sun	77	78	77	78	79	82	91	92	93	92	89	87	84	81	81	80	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	78	79	92	88	82	82	82	81	82	85	91	90	80	79	79	78
Tue	77	78	79	95	92	84	82	82	82	83	91	98	96	86	80	79	78
Wed	77	78	80	94	91	86	83	83	82	84	94	101	98	87	80	79	77
Thu	77	78	80	94	88	85	83	83	83	84	95	100	100	89	80	79	78
Fri	77	78	80	85	84	83	83	86	88	93	99	99	90	82	81	80	77
Sat	77	77	77	79	80	84	90	91	89	87	86	85	82	80	80	80	77
Sun	77	78	77	78	79	82	91	92	93	92	89	87	84	81	81	80	77