Origin
Costa Mesa, CA
Morning in Costa Mesa on Sunday
Local time
7:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Costa Mesa, CA to Anaheim, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
18.3 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 21m
★
6 AM
0h 23m
8 AM
0h 27m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 24m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Costa Mesa, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Costa Mesa to Anaheim, you are looking at a quick 18.3-mile journey across the Pacific Coast region. With a total travel time of approximately 22 minutes, this trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You will primarily utilize the Costa Mesa Freeway, I-5 North, and the Santa Ana Freeway to complete the transit. Budgeting roughly $2 for fuel should be more than sufficient given the short distance. Since this route remains entirely within the same coastal region, it functions as a straightforward local connection rather than a long-haul journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana Freeway | 8 mi | 9m |
| Costa Mesa Freeway | 8 mi | 9m |
| West Lincoln Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| Newport Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Anaheim Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Santa Ana Freeway
— 8 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Costa Mesa, CA and Anaheim, CA.
1
Start on CA 55
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Newport Boulevard
2
Continue on CA 55
7.6 mi
·
8 min
·
Costa Mesa Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 55
0.4 mi
·
28 sec
·
Costa Mesa Freeway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 10B
Toward I 5 North: Santa Ana
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 5
0.5 mi
·
36 sec
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5
5.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Santa Ana Freeway
Use the slight right lane.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 111
Toward Lincoln Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto West Lincoln Avenue
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
West Lincoln Avenue
Use the right lane.
10
Turn right onto South Anaheim Boulevard
370 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Anaheim Boulevard
11
Turn right
200 ft
·
14 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 7.8 and 17.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
7.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
8.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward I 5 North: Santa Ana
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 10B
Toward I 5 North: Santa Ana
6
11.2 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
7
16.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Lincoln Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 111
Toward Lincoln Avenue
6
17.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
West Lincoln Avenue
Turn right onto West Lincoln Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.21 one way
$8.41 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.33 | $8.67 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.45 | $8.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.04 | $8.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| Efficient EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.56 | $1.17 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Anaheim, CA
Morning in Anaheim on Sunday
Local time
7:17 AM
PDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
5 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
23m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention as you navigate between these two Southern California cities. Unlike long-haul interstate routes, this trip features zero highway-heavy stretches, with the Costa Mesa Freeway serving as a brief connector rather than a sustained path. You won't find a long, monotonous cruise here, as the experience is defined by local road transitions. The personality of this drive is functional and direct, making it a utilitarian hop rather than a scenic getaway. Be prepared for frequent lane changes as you transition between the various freeways that link these two hubs.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8 mi on Santa Ana Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Santa Ana Freeway and Costa Mesa Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.8 miles in near CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 18.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 23m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.8 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.2 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Costa Mesa, CA
Full guide →Founded 1776
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, a region of Southern California. Costa Mesa is a robust community that features a focus on performing arts and entertainment. Costa Mesa provides a city-like feel in a suburban setting with a vast amount of storefront shops and residential areas.
Top landmarks
- • Orange County Museum of Art — non-profit organisation in the USA
Arriving in Anaheim, CA
Full guide →Founded 1857
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. It is best known for being the home of Disneyland. Its second claim to fame is hosting the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks and Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels.
Top landmarks
- • Disneyland — American theme park in California owned by The Walt Disney Company
- • Disney California Adventure — theme park in California, part of Disneyland Resort
- • Soarin' — flight motion simulator attraction at Disney parks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 18.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8 miles on Santa Ana Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Anaheim, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 7.8 miles (CA 55 / Costa Mesa Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.2 miles (I 5 / Santa Ana Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Anaheim, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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