Pomona Ave and West 19th St
On Stages 1 and 2.
Heading west on West 19th St
Left, straight, straight
Heading east on West 19th St
Left, straight, straight
Heading west, there's no separate right-turn lane, so turn right from the right-hand lane.
California › Driving test routes › Costa Mesa DMV
California DMV
Costa Mesa DMVDriving Test Practice Routes
650 W 19th Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Within two miles of Costa Mesa DMV there are 81 sets of traffic lights and 70 all-way stops. About 11 miles of streets are one-way. The office is on West 19th Street, up to 7 lanes wide in places and signed at 30 mph.
Start with the practice routes just below, then see how far a test can reach and how you'll leave the office.
Costa Mesa road test practice routes
Practice loops that start and finish at the DMV, each built from Costa Mesa's real streets and harder than the last.
These are practice loops we planned. They aren't official DMV test routes. Drive with a licensed supervisor, and follow the signs and conditions on the day, which may differ from the map.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 1: Quieter streets
The quietest streets near the office, around West 19th St. This area is busy, so even this loop meets some traffic lights.
- Length
- 2.7 mi
- Approx. time
- 9 min
- Turns
- 12
- 4 sets of lights, with 1 left turn at them
- 2 all-way stops
- 1 stop sign
- Multi-lane driving on West 19th St
- 1.8 miles of residential streets
Open in Google Maps
Send it to your phoneScan to open this route in Google Maps, or open it here.
Google Maps can pick slightly different streets between our stops, so check it against the map here. It works best in the Google Maps app.
Turn-by-turn directions (13 steps)
- Leave the DMV and head west on West 19th Street. 0.1 mi
- At the lights, turn left onto Pomona Avenue. 500 ft
- Turn right onto Center Street. 0.5 mi
- At the stop sign, turn right onto Monrovia Avenue. 0.1 mi Straight through 1 all-way stop.
- At the all-way stop, turn left onto Arbor Street. 0.1 mi
- Turn right onto Republic Avenue. 250 ft
- Turn right onto Cedar Place. 0.2 mi
- Turn left onto Monrovia Avenue. 0.1 mi
- Turn right onto West 20th Street. 250 ft
- Turn left onto Continental Avenue. 0.2 mi
- Turn right onto Oak Street. 300 ft
- Turn right onto Federal Avenue. 0.5 mi
- Turn left onto West 19th Street and return to the DMV. 0.6 mi Straight through 3 sets of lights.
Stage 2: Stop signs and lights
Along West 19th St and Tustin Ave, with 12 sets of lights and 8 all-way stops.
- Length
- 4.8 mi
- Approx. time
- 17 min
- Turns
- 10
- 12 sets of lights, with 2 left turns and 3 right turns at them
- 8 all-way stops
- 3 stop signs
- Multi-lane driving on West 19th St
- Junctions A and B below, among the busiest for crashes
Open in Google Maps
Send it to your phoneScan to open this route in Google Maps, or open it here.
Google Maps can pick slightly different streets between our stops, so check it against the map here. It works best in the Google Maps app.
Turn-by-turn directions (13 steps)
- Leave the DMV and head west on West 19th Street. 0.8 mi Straight through 5 sets of lights.
- At the stop sign, continue onto East 19th Street. 0.6 mi Straight through 2 all-way stops.
- At the stop sign, turn right onto Tustin Avenue. 0.7 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- At the stop sign, turn right onto East 16th Street. 0.3 mi
- At the all-way stop, turn left onto Santa Ana Avenue. 0.4 mi Straight through 1 all-way stop.
- At the all-way stop, turn right onto Clay Street. 0.1 mi
- At the all-way stop, turn left onto Westminster Avenue. 0.2 mi
- At the all-way stop, continue onto Hospital Road. 300 ft
- At the lights, turn right onto Newport Boulevard. 0.4 mi
- At the lights, turn left onto Industrial Way. 0.2 mi
- At the lights, turn left onto West 16th Street. 100 ft
- At the lights, turn right onto Pomona Avenue. 0.7 mi Straight through 1 all-way stop.
- At the lights, turn right onto West 19th Street and return to the DMV. 0.2 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
Stage 3: Test-ready loop
Everything together over about 7 miles, including West 19th St and Harbor Blvd.
- Length
- 7 mi
- Approx. time
- 23 min
- Turns
- 14
- 18 sets of lights, with 2 left turns and 1 right turn at them
- 6 all-way stops
- 1 stop sign
- Multi-lane driving on West 19th St
- 1.8 miles of residential streets
- Junctions A and B below, among the busiest for crashes
Open in Google Maps
Send it to your phoneScan to open this route in Google Maps, or open it here.
Google Maps can pick slightly different streets between our stops, so check it against the map here. It works best in the Google Maps app.
Turn-by-turn directions (18 steps)
- Leave the DMV and head west on West 19th Street. 0.7 mi Straight through 4 sets of lights.
- At the lights, turn left onto Newport Boulevard. 0.3 mi
- Turn right onto East 20th Street. 0.2 mi
- At the all-way stop, turn left onto Orange Avenue. 300 ft
- Turn right onto Sierks Street. 0.3 mi
- Turn left onto Santa Ana Avenue. 0.4 mi Straight through 1 all-way stop.
- At the all-way stop, turn left onto 22nd Street. 0.5 mi Straight through 1 all-way stop.
- At the lights, turn right onto Newport Boulevard. 250 ft
- Continue onto Fairview Street. 0.2 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- Continue onto Fairview Road. 0.7 mi Straight through 2 sets of lights.
- Turn left onto Princeton Drive. 0.7 mi
- Turn left onto Harbor Boulevard. 1.0 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- At the lights, turn left onto Victoria Street. 0.3 mi
- Turn right onto Thurin Avenue. 0.3 mi Straight through 1 all-way stop.
- At the all-way stop, turn left onto West Bay Street. 0.1 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- At the lights, continue onto East Bay Street. 0.1 mi
- Turn right onto Fullerton Avenue. 0.4 mi
- At the stop sign, turn right onto West 19th Street and return to the DMV. 0.6 mi Straight through 5 sets of lights.
Where the Costa Mesa DMV drive test can go
Every drive test starts and finishes at the office, so the closer a road is, the more likely you are to drive it. The shading shows how long each road takes to reach from the DMV.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Within a 6-minute drive
- 51sets of traffic lights
- 39all-way stops
- 11schools
Main roads in the area: Newport Blvd, Placentia Ave, Harbor Blvd, Victoria St, Superior Ave, West 19th St, West Wilson St and Santa Ana Ave.
Drive times are our estimates from speed limits, with time added for lights and stops. They aren't DMV figures.
Leaving and returning to Costa Mesa DMV
The parking lot and the first junction are the only parts of the route you can be sure of. The office is on W 19th Street.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
P
In the parking lot
The test sheet scores how you drive through the lot, so watch for people and cars, keep it slow, and take extra care reversing out of your space.
1
East to Meyer Pl
0.2 mi along West 19th St to Meyer Place, where there are lights.
The roads around Costa Mesa DMV
What you'll be dealing with near the office, counted from map data within 2 miles.
81
Sets of traffic lights
Most are on Newport Blvd and Placentia Ave.
70
All-way stops
Santa Ana Ave has 13 of them.
18
Schools
The limit near a school drops to 25 mph when children are around.
11 mi
One-way streets
Check the arrows before every turn, and start from the correct side of the road.
7
Roundabouts
Give way to traffic already in the roundabout and signal as you leave.
27 mi
Bike lanes
Check the bike lane before turning right, and enter it no more than 200 feet before the turn.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, downloaded 2026-10-07. Counts cover public roads within 2 miles of the office.
Where to practice each part of the California drive test
The DMV's drive test score sheet (form DL 32) marks you on parking lot driving, backing, intersections, turns, lane changes, and business and residential driving. Here's where to practice near Costa Mesa DMV.
- Every loop
Parking lot driving
The DMV lot itself, at the start and end of every test - Stage 2
Stopping at all-way stops
East 19th St, 2 in a row - Stage 2
Lights you drive straight through
West 19th St: 5 sets of lights in 0.8 mi - Stage 2
Left turn at lights
From Newport Blvd onto Industrial Way - Stage 3
Left turn without lights
From Sierks St onto Santa Ana Ave, giving way to oncoming traffic - Stage 2
Right turn at lights
From Hospital Rd onto Newport Blvd - Stage 3
Lane changes
Fairview Rd, a multi-lane road - Stage 1
Residential streets
Center St and the streets around it - Not on a loop
Freeway merging
Only scored on supplemental (referral) tests. For practice, the nearest on-ramp is on Newport Blvd
Score sheet sections from California DMV form DL 32. Places from OpenStreetMap.
Which lane do I need near Costa Mesa DMV?
Lane layouts at the junctions with lights on our practice routes, as you'd see them approaching. Arrows show which way each lane can go.
Hospital Rd and Newport Blvd
On Stage 2.
Heading north on Newport Blvd
Left or reverse, straight, straight, straight, right
Heading south on Newport Blvd
Left or reverse, straight, straight, straight, right
Heading north, the far-right lane is for turning right only.
Industrial Way and Newport Blvd
On Stage 2.
Heading southwest on Newport Blvd
Left or reverse, straight, straight, straight
Heading northeast on Newport Blvd
Left or reverse, straight, straight, straight
Heading southwest, there's no separate right-turn lane, so turn right from the right-hand lane.
Industrial Way and Superior Ave
On Stage 2.
Heading southwest on Superior Ave
Left, straight, straight
Heading northeast on Superior Ave
Left, straight, straight, right
Heading southwest, there's no separate right-turn lane, so turn right from the right-hand lane.
Lane layouts from OpenStreetMap. Road markings can change, so always follow the arrows painted on the road.
What causes crashes on Costa Mesa's roads
Recorded causes of the 3,128 crashes on local roads within 2 miles of the office from 2021 to 2025, leaving out freeways. Too fast for conditions and impaired driving top the list.
Share of the 3,016 crashes where a cause was recorded. Other causes made up the remaining 8%. About 37% of these crashes happened after dark. Source: California Crash Reporting System, California Highway Patrol, via data.ca.gov.
Costa Mesa junctions worth practicing
The junctions within 2 miles of the office with the most crashes from 2021 to 2025. Each one is marked on the practice routes map.
Newport Blvd and West 19th St
42 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were rear-end crashes. Leave a bigger gap than you think you need, and brake early and smoothly when the lights change.
Harbor Blvd and West 19th St
34 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were rear-end crashes. Leave a bigger gap than you think you need, and brake early and smoothly when the lights change. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 8.
Brookhurst St and Hamilton Ave
31 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 4.
Newport Blvd and East 17th St
29 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were rear-end crashes. Leave a bigger gap than you think you need, and brake early and smoothly when the lights change. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 3.
22nd St and Newport Blvd
28 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 20.
Crashes located within about 100 feet of each junction. Source: California Crash Reporting System, California Highway Patrol, via data.ca.gov.
Booked your Costa Mesa road test?
See routes from real Costa Mesa tests
Once you're confident on these loops, the Driving Test Routes app has 5 routes recorded from real tests at Costa Mesa DMV, with turn-by-turn voice directions on your phone.
On a computer?Scan with your phone's camera to get the app.
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Costa Mesa driving test questions
Where does the Costa Mesa DMV driving test go?
The DMV doesn't publish its test routes. Every test starts and finishes in the office parking lot, and the roads closest to the office are the ones you're most likely to drive, such as Newport Blvd, Placentia Ave, Harbor Blvd. Routes recorded from real Costa Mesa tests are in the Driving Test Routes app.
Are these the real Costa Mesa test routes?
No. Our practice routes are loops we planned from Costa Mesa's street data to cover the skills on the test. They're for practice, not a copy of the DMV's routes.
What do you need to pass the California drive test?
The DMV's score sheet (form DL 32) says you pass with no more than 15 errors on the driving maneuvers and no critical driving errors. Before you set off, you also need no more than 3 errors on the parking brake, arm signals, wipers, defroster, emergency flashers and headlights.
What makes Costa Mesa's roads tricky for learners?
Within 2 miles of the office, 11 miles of streets are one-way; West 19th Street is up to 7 lanes wide; there are 81 sets of traffic lights within 2 miles.
Which junctions near Costa Mesa DMV have the most crashes?
Newport Blvd and West 19th St (42), Harbor Blvd and West 19th St (34), Brookhurst St and Hamilton Ave (31), counting crashes from 2021 to 2025.
How do I book a drive test at Costa Mesa DMV?
Book online through the California DMV appointments page, choosing Costa Mesa as your office. Book on the DMV website.
Costa Mesa DMV office information
Opening hours
| Monday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Thursday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Friday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours can change on holidays. Check the DMV's Costa Mesa page before you go.
Nearby offices
- Santa Ana DMV8.2 mi
- Westminster DMV9.3 mi
- Fullerton DMV15.4 mi
Services at Costa Mesa DMV
- Behind-the-wheel drive tests
- Written knowledge tests
- Motorcycle driving tests
- Driver's license and ID applications
- Replacement documents
- Vehicle registration and renewals
- Title transfers
- License plates
- Disabled parking placards
- Self-service kiosks
- Driver and vehicle records