Best Time to Drive from Valencia to Costa Mesa

Right now (6:53 pm PDT): about 95 minutes via I-5 South, usually 79 at this time.

Only 34% 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 Valencia 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	72	90	109	102	86	84	83	83	85	93	103	110	101	91	78	72	69
Tue	69	107	133	126	99	90	86	86	87	99	113	120	109	98	82	76	70
Wed	68	93	112	106	103	89	86	85	87	98	103	110	106	96	83	77	70
Thu	70	99	131	119	97	89	87	90	91	106	115	119	117	100	79	76	70
Fri	69	87	98	94	89	86	88	90	103	115	115	114	115	96	83	79	74
Sat	70	73	75	78	83	85	89	91	98	98	100	93	92	87	82	79	69
Sun	70	70	70	71	73	79	82	86	87	89	88	87	84	84	82	80	72

About this drive

On weekdays the 79-mile drive from Valencia to Costa Mesa (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 68 minutes and up to 133 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 91 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (100 minutes).

About 77 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 Valencia 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 Valencia to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 68 minutes then, versus up to 133 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 79-mile drive usually takes 68 to 133 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 91 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Valencia to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 133 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (51 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (18 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (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 Valencia (return trip) · Valencia to Los Angeles · Valencia to Long Beach · Valencia to Bakersfield · Valencia to Anaheim · Valencia to Santa Ana · Valencia to Irvine · Valencia to Huntington Beach · Valencia to Glendale · Valencia to Santa Clarita · Valencia to Garden Grove · Valencia to Rancho Cucamonga

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	90	109	102	86	84	83	83	85	93	103	110	101	91	78	72	69
Tue	69	107	133	126	99	90	86	86	87	99	113	120	109	98	82	76	70
Wed	68	93	112	106	103	89	86	85	87	98	103	110	106	96	83	77	70
Thu	70	99	131	119	97	89	87	90	91	106	115	119	117	100	79	76	70
Fri	69	87	98	94	89	86	88	90	103	115	115	114	115	96	83	79	74
Sat	70	73	75	78	83	85	89	91	98	98	100	93	92	87	82	79	69
Sun	70	70	70	71	73	79	82	86	87	89	88	87	84	84	82	80	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	90	109	102	86	84	83	83	85	93	103	110	101	91	78	72	69
Tue	69	107	133	126	99	90	86	86	87	99	113	120	109	98	82	76	70
Wed	68	93	112	106	103	89	86	85	87	98	103	110	106	96	83	77	70
Thu	70	99	131	119	97	89	87	90	91	106	115	119	117	100	79	76	70
Fri	69	87	98	94	89	86	88	90	103	115	115	114	115	96	83	79	74
Sat	70	73	75	78	83	85	89	91	98	98	100	93	92	87	82	79	69
Sun	70	70	70	71	73	79	82	86	87	89	88	87	84	84	82	80	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	72	90	109	102	86	84	83	83	85	93	103	110	101	91	78	72	69
Tue	69	107	133	126	99	90	86	86	87	99	113	120	109	98	82	76	70
Wed	68	93	112	106	103	89	86	85	87	98	103	110	106	96	83	77	70
Thu	70	99	131	119	97	89	87	90	91	106	115	119	117	100	79	76	70
Fri	69	87	98	94	89	86	88	90	103	115	115	114	115	96	83	79	74
Sat	70	73	75	78	83	85	89	91	98	98	100	93	92	87	82	79	69
Sun	70	70	70	71	73	79	82	86	87	89	88	87	84	84	82	80	72