RSSTraffic Tips for Orange County Visitors
Vacation Destinations No Comments
Visitors to Orange County tourist attractions should be aware that Orange County highways can get congested sometimes, especially at rush hour. You wouldn’t want to spoil your California vacation plans by sitting in a traffic jam on the way to Disneyland! Happily, with a little advance planning, you can avoid many of the chronically congested areas and not spoil your trip.
The two major arteries in Orange County running north and south through most of the hottest tourist attractions are I-5 and I-405. As you might expect (because Orange County is such a desirable place to live), the I-5 freeway gets congested as you leave the county in the mornings and as you return in the evening. For example, there is chronic morning congestion on I-5 northbound from Buena Park north into Los Angeles county, and there is a bit of congestion on the Mission Viejo curve southbound as you head to San Diego.
That said, the 405 freeway south of the 605 gets congested coming into Orange County in the mornings and leaving at night, the exact opposite of the pattern on I-5. Who knows why this happens exactly, but it has to do with employment and living patterns in Orange County.
The cross-county highways, like the Garden Grove Freeway can be stop and go until about 9:30 AM, just like the Costa Mesa Freeway coming south into Santa Ana. It’s best to avoid these spots in the morning.
The Pacific Coast Highway, also known as California State Route 1, runs by all the famous beaches of Orange County, and it can be congested pretty much any time of day, but especially at rush hour.
Rush hour extends from about 6:30 until 9 AM, so most tourist activity will not be affected. You are more likely to encounter afternoon rush hour traffic, which runs from about 4 PM to 7 PM. The best way to avoid problems is to stay off the main freeways during those hours. Plan your day so that you are near your destination if you need to travel during afternoon rush hour. For example, if you are visiting Disneyland, plan to stay at a hotel near Disneyland, or eat at a nearby restaurant instead of driving on the freeway for a longer distance.
A little advance planning will make your visit to the Orange County tourist attractions much more enjoyable!