Best Time to Drive from Sawtelle to Costa Mesa

Right now (4:50 pm PST): about 54 minutes via I-405 South, usually 55 at this time.

Only 7% 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 Sawtelle 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	45	45	47	50	51	50	51	53	61	77	96	98	98	83	54	47	45
Tue	45	45	47	57	61	54	53	58	103	143	174	182	152	108	70	51	45
Wed	45	46	47	59	57	51	52	59	104	166	189	178	151	115	75	57	46
Thu	45	46	46	55	55	52	53	66	88	154	155	129	110	90	75	62	46
Fri	45	45	46	55	51	50	54	86	125	131	107	79	74	75	64	57	47
Sat	45	46	46	47	48	50	53	60	64	69	71	65	64	55	54	55	46
Sun	46	45	46	46	47	49	50	52	56	57	56	54	55	54	53	50	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 50-mile drive from Sawtelle to Costa Mesa (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 45 minutes and up to 191 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 86 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (77 minutes).

About 48 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.9 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 Sawtelle 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 Sawtelle to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 45 minutes then, versus up to 191 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 50-mile drive usually takes 45 to 191 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 86 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sawtelle to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 191 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (29 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (16 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

Sawtelle to Lancaster · Sawtelle to Palmdale · Sawtelle to Valencia · Sawtelle to East Los Angeles · Sawtelle to Inglewood

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	45	47	50	51	50	51	53	61	77	96	98	98	83	54	47	45
Tue	45	45	47	57	61	54	53	58	103	143	174	182	152	108	70	51	45
Wed	45	46	47	59	57	51	52	59	104	166	189	178	151	115	75	57	46
Thu	45	46	46	55	55	52	53	66	88	154	155	129	110	90	75	62	46
Fri	45	45	46	55	51	50	54	86	125	131	107	79	74	75	64	57	47
Sat	45	46	46	47	48	50	53	60	64	69	71	65	64	55	54	55	46
Sun	46	45	46	46	47	49	50	52	56	57	56	54	55	54	53	50	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	45	47	50	51	50	51	53	61	77	96	98	98	83	54	47	45
Tue	45	45	47	57	61	54	53	58	103	143	174	182	152	108	70	51	45
Wed	45	46	47	59	57	51	52	59	104	166	189	178	151	115	75	57	46
Thu	45	46	46	55	55	52	53	66	88	154	155	129	110	90	75	62	46
Fri	45	45	46	55	51	50	54	86	125	131	107	79	74	75	64	57	47
Sat	45	46	46	47	48	50	53	60	64	69	71	65	64	55	54	55	46
Sun	46	45	46	46	47	49	50	52	56	57	56	54	55	54	53	50	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	45	47	50	51	50	51	53	61	77	96	98	98	83	54	47	45
Tue	45	45	47	57	61	54	53	58	103	143	174	182	152	108	70	51	45
Wed	45	46	47	59	57	51	52	59	104	166	189	178	151	115	75	57	46
Thu	45	46	46	55	55	52	53	66	88	154	155	129	110	90	75	62	46
Fri	45	45	46	55	51	50	54	86	125	131	107	79	74	75	64	57	47
Sat	45	46	46	47	48	50	53	60	64	69	71	65	64	55	54	55	46
Sun	46	45	46	46	47	49	50	52	56	57	56	54	55	54	53	50	46