Best Time to Drive from Vista to Costa Mesa

Right now (6:48 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North, usually 55 at this time.

Only 62% 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 Vista 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	53	53	53	54	56	56	56	58	57	56	56	56	60	55	54	54	53
Tue	53	54	54	55	56	57	57	57	57	57	57	58	58	55	55	55	53
Wed	53	54	54	55	56	58	57	58	57	57	58	59	57	56	55	55	53
Thu	53	55	54	55	56	57	57	57	59	57	58	57	60	61	57	55	54
Fri	53	54	54	54	56	58	58	63	65	75	72	70	71	64	57	55	54
Sat	53	53	53	54	55	57	70	72	70	81	76	66	64	58	55	56	53
Sun	53	53	53	54	55	59	78	86	88	86	79	70	70	61	56	56	53

About this drive

On weekdays the 60-mile drive from Vista to Costa Mesa (via I-5 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 53 minutes and up to 75 minutes, when leaving around 2 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 12 pm or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 58 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (88 minutes).

About 59 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.5 miles surface streets (about 2 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Vista 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 Vista to Costa Mesa?

On weekdays, leave before 12 pm or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 53 minutes then, versus up to 75 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 60-mile drive usually takes 53 to 75 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 58 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Vista to Costa Mesa?

Leaving around 2 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 75 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (20 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-78 West in San Diego (7 miles) · SR-55 South in Orange County (3 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Costa Mesa to Vista (return trip) · Vista to San Diego · Vista to Long Beach · Vista to Anaheim · Vista to Riverside · Vista to Santa Ana · Vista to Santa Monica · Vista to Chula Vista · Vista to Irvine · Vista to San Bernardino · Vista to Fontana · Vista to Moreno Valley

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	53	53	54	56	56	56	58	57	56	56	56	60	55	54	54	53
Tue	53	54	54	55	56	57	57	57	57	57	57	58	58	55	55	55	53
Wed	53	54	54	55	56	58	57	58	57	57	58	59	57	56	55	55	53
Thu	53	55	54	55	56	57	57	57	59	57	58	57	60	61	57	55	54
Fri	53	54	54	54	56	58	58	63	65	75	72	70	71	64	57	55	54
Sat	53	53	53	54	55	57	70	72	70	81	76	66	64	58	55	56	53
Sun	53	53	53	54	55	59	78	86	88	86	79	70	70	61	56	56	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	53	53	54	56	56	56	58	57	56	56	56	60	55	54	54	53
Tue	53	54	54	55	56	57	57	57	57	57	57	58	58	55	55	55	53
Wed	53	54	54	55	56	58	57	58	57	57	58	59	57	56	55	55	53
Thu	53	55	54	55	56	57	57	57	59	57	58	57	60	61	57	55	54
Fri	53	54	54	54	56	58	58	63	65	75	72	70	71	64	57	55	54
Sat	53	53	53	54	55	57	70	72	70	81	76	66	64	58	55	56	53
Sun	53	53	53	54	55	59	78	86	88	86	79	70	70	61	56	56	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	53	53	54	56	56	56	58	57	56	56	56	60	55	54	54	53
Tue	53	54	54	55	56	57	57	57	57	57	57	58	58	55	55	55	53
Wed	53	54	54	55	56	58	57	58	57	57	58	59	57	56	55	55	53
Thu	53	55	54	55	56	57	57	57	59	57	58	57	60	61	57	55	54
Fri	53	54	54	54	56	58	58	63	65	75	72	70	71	64	57	55	54
Sat	53	53	53	54	55	57	70	72	70	81	76	66	64	58	55	56	53
Sun	53	53	53	54	55	59	78	86	88	86	79	70	70	61	56	56	53