Best Time to Drive from San Bernardino to Costa Mesa

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 54 minutes via SR-91 West and SR-55 South, usually 54 at this time.

Only 35% 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 San Bernardino 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	56	72	86	86	72	61	62	60	62	63	69	67	69	60	54	55	52
Tue	55	79	93	99	81	66	62	61	62	65	70	69	70	61	54	53	52
Wed	55	78	97	104	79	66	62	61	62	63	67	70	74	65	55	53	52
Thu	55	75	86	93	76	63	61	61	64	63	72	71	75	66	55	54	52
Fri	53	66	70	73	69	63	63	64	67	65	67	69	69	62	56	53	53
Sat	52	53	53	54	56	59	62	65	65	64	62	63	60	58	55	53	52
Sun	52	53	53	53	55	57	61	61	61	59	58	56	56	55	55	55	52

About this drive

On weekdays the 58-mile drive from San Bernardino to Costa Mesa (via SR-91 West and SR-55 South) usually takes as little as 52 minutes and up to 104 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (65 minutes).

About 56 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.5 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 52 minutes then, versus up to 104 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Bernardino to Costa Mesa?

The 58-mile drive usually takes 52 to 104 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Bernardino to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 104 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 West in Orange County (28 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (15 miles) · I-215 South in Inland Empire (9 miles) · SR-91 West in Inland Empire (4 miles)

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

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	72	86	86	72	61	62	60	62	63	69	67	69	60	54	55	52
Tue	55	79	93	99	81	66	62	61	62	65	70	69	70	61	54	53	52
Wed	55	78	97	104	79	66	62	61	62	63	67	70	74	65	55	53	52
Thu	55	75	86	93	76	63	61	61	64	63	72	71	75	66	55	54	52
Fri	53	66	70	73	69	63	63	64	67	65	67	69	69	62	56	53	53
Sat	52	53	53	54	56	59	62	65	65	64	62	63	60	58	55	53	52
Sun	52	53	53	53	55	57	61	61	61	59	58	56	56	55	55	55	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	72	86	86	72	61	62	60	62	63	69	67	69	60	54	55	52
Tue	55	79	93	99	81	66	62	61	62	65	70	69	70	61	54	53	52
Wed	55	78	97	104	79	66	62	61	62	63	67	70	74	65	55	53	52
Thu	55	75	86	93	76	63	61	61	64	63	72	71	75	66	55	54	52
Fri	53	66	70	73	69	63	63	64	67	65	67	69	69	62	56	53	53
Sat	52	53	53	54	56	59	62	65	65	64	62	63	60	58	55	53	52
Sun	52	53	53	53	55	57	61	61	61	59	58	56	56	55	55	55	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	72	86	86	72	61	62	60	62	63	69	67	69	60	54	55	52
Tue	55	79	93	99	81	66	62	61	62	65	70	69	70	61	54	53	52
Wed	55	78	97	104	79	66	62	61	62	63	67	70	74	65	55	53	52
Thu	55	75	86	93	76	63	61	61	64	63	72	71	75	66	55	54	52
Fri	53	66	70	73	69	63	63	64	67	65	67	69	69	62	56	53	53
Sat	52	53	53	54	56	59	62	65	65	64	62	63	60	58	55	53	52
Sun	52	53	53	53	55	57	61	61	61	59	58	56	56	55	55	55	52