Costa Mesa travel guide
Costa Mesa Tourism | Costa Mesa Guide
You're Going to Love Costa Mesa
With a population of 109,960, Costa Mesa is a must-see destination in California, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Costa Mesa deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Where to Eat in Costa Mesa
If you’re looking for affordable options, VACA (695 Town Center Drive Suite 170) and Hamamori Restaurant and Sushi Bar (3333 Bear Street, Suite 320) are great picks.
Most popular restaurants in Costa Mesa
When to visit Costa Mesa
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Costa Mesa in July, when the average temperature is 71.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 80.6 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 44.6 °F, with an average temperature of 55.4 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in March, when precipitation is around 2.6″. In contrast, June is usually the driest month of the year in Costa Mesa, with an average rainfall of 0.1″.
How to Get to Costa Mesa
Plane
When flying to Costa Mesa, you’ll arrive at John Wayne Airport, OC (SNA), which is located 6 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Costa Mesa include American Airlines, Air Canada and Alaska Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Costa Mesa departs from Las Vegas and takes around 1h 12m.
Train
Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Costa Mesa. The train journey from Costa Mesa to Burbank takes 0h 27m and costs around $11 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Fullerton, expect to pay about $14 for a 0h 39m trip.
Car
Another option to get to Costa Mesa is to pick up a car rental from Los Angeles, which is about 59 km from Costa Mesa. You’ll find branches of Ace and Turo, among others, in Los Angeles.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Costa Mesa, including FlixBus, Busbud and Amtrak. From Santa Barbara, the bus ride to Costa Mesa takes 193 km and will cost you around $64. From Palm Springs, the ticket costs about $45 for a journey of 200 km.
Airlines serving Costa Mesa
Where to stay in popular areas of Costa Mesa
Most booked hotels in Costa Mesa
Renting a car in Costa Mesa
Renting a car in Costa Mesa costs $50 per day, on average, or $100 if you want to rent if for 2 days.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 1% cheaper than airport locations in Costa Mesa.
Expect to pay $3.90 per gallon in Costa Mesa (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Costa Mesa is Full-size (Ford Explorer or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Honda Civic or similar) are, on average, 65% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.
Best car rental deals in Costa Mesa
Compact
4 Adults, 2 Bags
$34/day
Pickup truck
5 Adults, 5 Bags
$38/day