Best Time to Drive from Sylmar to Costa Mesa

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 79 minutes via I-5 South and I-210 East, usually 82 at this time.

Only 10% 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 Sylmar 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	63	77	92	90	78	74	74	74	77	80	92	101	95	85	71	65	62
Tue	61	80	103	99	84	80	75	75	77	86	101	114	101	90	76	69	61
Wed	61	77	104	100	88	79	75	75	76	84	90	95	90	81	75	70	63
Thu	61	79	101	99	88	81	79	80	81	93	104	110	102	92	74	70	63
Fri	61	74	88	87	78	75	76	78	87	101	104	105	105	90	77	71	63
Sat	62	64	66	68	70	73	75	77	81	83	83	82	82	78	73	71	64
Sun	61	63	63	63	64	69	72	77	77	80	76	77	76	75	73	73	63

About this drive

On weekdays the 70-mile drive from Sylmar to Costa Mesa (via I-5 South and I-210 East) usually takes as little as 61 minutes and up to 114 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 80 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (83 minutes).

About 68 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.5 miles surface streets (2 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sylmar 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 Sylmar to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 61 minutes then, versus up to 114 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 70-mile drive usually takes 61 to 114 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 80 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sylmar to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 114 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (18 miles) · I-210 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (8 miles) · SR-2 West in Los Angeles (8 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Costa Mesa to Sylmar (return trip) · Sylmar to Los Angeles · Sylmar to Long Beach · Sylmar to Anaheim · Sylmar to Riverside · Sylmar to Santa Ana · Sylmar to Irvine · Sylmar to San Bernardino · Sylmar to Fontana · Sylmar to Oxnard · Sylmar to Huntington Beach · Sylmar 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	63	77	92	90	78	74	74	74	77	80	92	101	95	85	71	65	62
Tue	61	80	103	99	84	80	75	75	77	86	101	114	101	90	76	69	61
Wed	61	77	104	100	88	79	75	75	76	84	90	95	90	81	75	70	63
Thu	61	79	101	99	88	81	79	80	81	93	104	110	102	92	74	70	63
Fri	61	74	88	87	78	75	76	78	87	101	104	105	105	90	77	71	63
Sat	62	64	66	68	70	73	75	77	81	83	83	82	82	78	73	71	64
Sun	61	63	63	63	64	69	72	77	77	80	76	77	76	75	73	73	63

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	63	77	92	90	78	74	74	74	77	80	92	101	95	85	71	65	62
Tue	61	80	103	99	84	80	75	75	77	86	101	114	101	90	76	69	61
Wed	61	77	104	100	88	79	75	75	76	84	90	95	90	81	75	70	63
Thu	61	79	101	99	88	81	79	80	81	93	104	110	102	92	74	70	63
Fri	61	74	88	87	78	75	76	78	87	101	104	105	105	90	77	71	63
Sat	62	64	66	68	70	73	75	77	81	83	83	82	82	78	73	71	64
Sun	61	63	63	63	64	69	72	77	77	80	76	77	76	75	73	73	63

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	63	77	92	90	78	74	74	74	77	80	92	101	95	85	71	65	62
Tue	61	80	103	99	84	80	75	75	77	86	101	114	101	90	76	69	61
Wed	61	77	104	100	88	79	75	75	76	84	90	95	90	81	75	70	63
Thu	61	79	101	99	88	81	79	80	81	93	104	110	102	92	74	70	63
Fri	61	74	88	87	78	75	76	78	87	101	104	105	105	90	77	71	63
Sat	62	64	66	68	70	73	75	77	81	83	83	82	82	78	73	71	64
Sun	61	63	63	63	64	69	72	77	77	80	76	77	76	75	73	73	63