Best Time to Drive from Simi Valley to Costa Mesa

Right now (6:53 pm PDT): about 103 minutes via I-405 South and SR-118 East, usually 93 at this time.

Only 2% 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 Simi Valley 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	81	85	86	86	87	87	89	89	89	89	88	84	80	78	78
Tue	77	79	82	83	85	85	85	86	87	87	87	89	88	83	79	77	77
Wed	78	78	82	86	87	89	89	90	90	91	92	100	103	98	88	80	78
Thu	77	80	80	83	85	87	88	88	90	91	92	99	103	103	93	80	75
Fri	77	78	81	83	85	85	87	88	89	90	89	91	99	99	94	86	77
Sat	77	80	81	81	84	85	86	89	90	90	94	100	102	98	105	96	78
Sun	79	80	82	82	85	89	90	91	91	91	95	102	107	103	93	82	77

About this drive

On weekdays the 84-mile drive from Simi Valley to Costa Mesa (via I-405 South and SR-118 East) usually takes as little as 75 minutes and up to 103 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 88 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Sundays (107 minutes).

About 83 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.6 miles surface streets (about 2 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Simi Valley 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 Simi Valley to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 75 minutes then, versus up to 103 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Simi Valley to Costa Mesa?

The 84-mile drive usually takes 75 to 103 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 88 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Simi Valley to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 103 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (44 miles) · SR-118 East in Los Angeles (19 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

Costa Mesa to Simi Valley (return trip) · Simi Valley to Los Angeles · Simi Valley to Santa Monica · Simi Valley to Pasadena · Simi Valley to Long Beach · Simi Valley to West Covina · Simi Valley to Burbank · Simi Valley to Glendale · Simi Valley to Santa Clarita · Simi Valley to Van Nuys · Simi Valley to Torrance · Simi Valley to LAX

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	81	85	86	86	87	87	89	89	89	89	88	84	80	78	78
Tue	77	79	82	83	85	85	85	86	87	87	87	89	88	83	79	77	77
Wed	78	78	82	86	87	89	89	90	90	91	92	100	103	98	88	80	78
Thu	77	80	80	83	85	87	88	88	90	91	92	99	103	103	93	80	75
Fri	77	78	81	83	85	85	87	88	89	90	89	91	99	99	94	86	77
Sat	77	80	81	81	84	85	86	89	90	90	94	100	102	98	105	96	78
Sun	79	80	82	82	85	89	90	91	91	91	95	102	107	103	93	82	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	78	81	85	86	86	87	87	89	89	89	89	88	84	80	78	78
Tue	77	79	82	83	85	85	85	86	87	87	87	89	88	83	79	77	77
Wed	78	78	82	86	87	89	89	90	90	91	92	100	103	98	88	80	78
Thu	77	80	80	83	85	87	88	88	90	91	92	99	103	103	93	80	75
Fri	77	78	81	83	85	85	87	88	89	90	89	91	99	99	94	86	77
Sat	77	80	81	81	84	85	86	89	90	90	94	100	102	98	105	96	78
Sun	79	80	82	82	85	89	90	91	91	91	95	102	107	103	93	82	77

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	77	78	81	85	86	86	87	87	89	89	89	89	88	84	80	78	78
Tue	77	79	82	83	85	85	85	86	87	87	87	89	88	83	79	77	77
Wed	78	78	82	86	87	89	89	90	90	91	92	100	103	98	88	80	78
Thu	77	80	80	83	85	87	88	88	90	91	92	99	103	103	93	80	75
Fri	77	78	81	83	85	85	87	88	89	90	89	91	99	99	94	86	77
Sat	77	80	81	81	84	85	86	89	90	90	94	100	102	98	105	96	78
Sun	79	80	82	82	85	89	90	91	91	91	95	102	107	103	93	82	77