Best Time to Drive from Rancho Palos Verdes to Costa Mesa

Right now (7:06 pm PDT): about 44 minutes via I-405 South, usually 46 at this time.

Only 3% 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 Rancho Palos Verdes 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	43	43	45	46	45	46	45	46	47	47	47	47	48	47	44	43	43
Tue	42	42	46	47	46	46	44	45	46	46	46	48	50	49	45	43	42
Wed	42	42	44	47	46	46	46	45	47	46	47	49	52	52	47	43	43
Thu	42	43	44	45	46	46	45	46	46	46	46	52	51	52	47	43	42
Fri	42	42	45	48	46	46	47	46	46	47	48	49	51	51	48	44	42
Sat	41	42	43	43	44	45	47	49	46	46	47	46	48	46	46	47	43
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	46	46	47	46	46	46	47	48	48	47	44	42

About this drive

On weekdays the 42-mile drive from Rancho Palos Verdes to Costa Mesa (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 42 minutes and up to 53 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (49 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (12 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Rancho Palos Verdes 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 Rancho Palos Verdes to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 42 minutes then, versus up to 53 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Rancho Palos Verdes to Costa Mesa?

The 42-mile drive usually takes 42 to 53 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Palos Verdes to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 53 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Orange County (16 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-710 North in Los Angeles (4 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 Rancho Palos Verdes (return trip) · Rancho Palos Verdes to Los Angeles · Rancho Palos Verdes to Long Beach · Rancho Palos Verdes to Anaheim · Rancho Palos Verdes to Riverside · Rancho Palos Verdes to Santa Ana · Rancho Palos Verdes to Irvine · Rancho Palos Verdes to San Bernardino · Rancho Palos Verdes to Fontana · Rancho Palos Verdes to Oxnard · Rancho Palos Verdes to Moreno Valley · Rancho Palos Verdes 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	43	43	45	46	45	46	45	46	47	47	47	47	48	47	44	43	43
Tue	42	42	46	47	46	46	44	45	46	46	46	48	50	49	45	43	42
Wed	42	42	44	47	46	46	46	45	47	46	47	49	52	52	47	43	43
Thu	42	43	44	45	46	46	45	46	46	46	46	52	51	52	47	43	42
Fri	42	42	45	48	46	46	47	46	46	47	48	49	51	51	48	44	42
Sat	41	42	43	43	44	45	47	49	46	46	47	46	48	46	46	47	43
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	46	46	47	46	46	46	47	48	48	47	44	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	43	45	46	45	46	45	46	47	47	47	47	48	47	44	43	43
Tue	42	42	46	47	46	46	44	45	46	46	46	48	50	49	45	43	42
Wed	42	42	44	47	46	46	46	45	47	46	47	49	52	52	47	43	43
Thu	42	43	44	45	46	46	45	46	46	46	46	52	51	52	47	43	42
Fri	42	42	45	48	46	46	47	46	46	47	48	49	51	51	48	44	42
Sat	41	42	43	43	44	45	47	49	46	46	47	46	48	46	46	47	43
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	46	46	47	46	46	46	47	48	48	47	44	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	43	45	46	45	46	45	46	47	47	47	47	48	47	44	43	43
Tue	42	42	46	47	46	46	44	45	46	46	46	48	50	49	45	43	42
Wed	42	42	44	47	46	46	46	45	47	46	47	49	52	52	47	43	43
Thu	42	43	44	45	46	46	45	46	46	46	46	52	51	52	47	43	42
Fri	42	42	45	48	46	46	47	46	46	47	48	49	51	51	48	44	42
Sat	41	42	43	43	44	45	47	49	46	46	47	46	48	46	46	47	43
Sun	43	43	43	43	44	46	46	47	46	46	46	47	48	48	47	44	42