Best Time to Drive from Rancho Penasquitos to Costa Mesa

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 82 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North, usually 74 at this time.

Only 76% 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 Penasquitos 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	70	71	72	83	80	75	75	75	75	75	77	84	82	74	72	72	71
Tue	70	71	73	83	83	77	75	75	75	75	83	89	87	80	73	73	71
Wed	70	71	73	83	82	79	76	77	75	77	85	92	90	82	74	73	71
Thu	70	71	73	83	80	78	76	76	76	76	86	91	91	84	74	73	71
Fri	70	72	73	77	77	76	76	78	81	85	90	91	85	76	74	73	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	74	77	83	85	82	82	80	79	76	74	73	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	73	75	83	85	87	86	83	80	78	74	74	74	70

About this drive

On weekdays the 80-mile drive from Rancho Penasquitos to Costa Mesa (via I-5 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 70 minutes and up to 93 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 76 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (87 minutes).

About 79 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.2 miles surface streets (1 to 2 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Rancho Penasquitos 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 Penasquitos to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 70 minutes then, versus up to 93 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 80-mile drive usually takes 70 to 93 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 76 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Penasquitos to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 93 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 (9 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 Rancho Penasquitos (return trip) · Rancho Penasquitos to San Diego · Rancho Penasquitos to Anaheim · Rancho Penasquitos to Santa Ana · Rancho Penasquitos to Chula Vista · Rancho Penasquitos to Irvine · Rancho Penasquitos to Moreno Valley · Rancho Penasquitos to Oceanside · Rancho Penasquitos to Corona · Rancho Penasquitos to Escondido · Rancho Penasquitos to Carlsbad · Rancho Penasquitos to Temecula

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	71	72	83	80	75	75	75	75	75	77	84	82	74	72	72	71
Tue	70	71	73	83	83	77	75	75	75	75	83	89	87	80	73	73	71
Wed	70	71	73	83	82	79	76	77	75	77	85	92	90	82	74	73	71
Thu	70	71	73	83	80	78	76	76	76	76	86	91	91	84	74	73	71
Fri	70	72	73	77	77	76	76	78	81	85	90	91	85	76	74	73	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	74	77	83	85	82	82	80	79	76	74	73	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	73	75	83	85	87	86	83	80	78	74	74	74	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	71	72	83	80	75	75	75	75	75	77	84	82	74	72	72	71
Tue	70	71	73	83	83	77	75	75	75	75	83	89	87	80	73	73	71
Wed	70	71	73	83	82	79	76	77	75	77	85	92	90	82	74	73	71
Thu	70	71	73	83	80	78	76	76	76	76	86	91	91	84	74	73	71
Fri	70	72	73	77	77	76	76	78	81	85	90	91	85	76	74	73	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	74	77	83	85	82	82	80	79	76	74	73	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	73	75	83	85	87	86	83	80	78	74	74	74	70

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	71	72	83	80	75	75	75	75	75	77	84	82	74	72	72	71
Tue	70	71	73	83	83	77	75	75	75	75	83	89	87	80	73	73	71
Wed	70	71	73	83	82	79	76	77	75	77	85	92	90	82	74	73	71
Thu	70	71	73	83	80	78	76	76	76	76	86	91	91	84	74	73	71
Fri	70	72	73	77	77	76	76	78	81	85	90	91	85	76	74	73	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	74	77	83	85	82	82	80	79	76	74	73	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	73	75	83	85	87	86	83	80	78	74	74	74	70