Traffic Predict
Is San Diego Traffic Getting Worse?
In 2026, weekday freeway congestion in San Diego was 17% better than in 2025 and 42% better than in 2016, measured as hours lost in stop-and-go traffic per 1,000 miles driven. Traffic volume per sensor was about the same as in 2025.
Year by year (weekdays)
| Year | Delay per 1,000 vehicle-miles | Change | Vehicles per sensor per day | Average speed | 5 pm speed | Sensors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 (partial) | 0.93 h | – | 73,214 | 61 mph | 54 mph | 699 |
| 2017 | 0.91 h | -3% | 74,965 | 61 mph | 55 mph | 721 |
| 2018 | 0.93 h | +2% | 75,175 | 61 mph | 54 mph | 728 |
| 2019 | 0.98 h | +6% | 74,519 | 61 mph | 54 mph | 736 |
| 2020 | 0.28 h | -71% | 60,598 | 64 mph | 62 mph | 733 |
| 2021 | 0.44 h | +54% | 68,168 | 62 mph | 58 mph | 709 |
| 2022 | 0.49 h | +12% | 69,906 | 62 mph | 57 mph | 764 |
| 2023 | 0.60 h | +22% | 70,510 | 61 mph | 56 mph | 750 |
| 2024 | 0.71 h | +18% | 70,661 | 61 mph | 56 mph | 750 |
| 2025 | 0.65 h | -8% | 71,176 | 61 mph | 56 mph | 750 |
| 2026 | 0.54 h | -17% | 71,774 | 61 mph | 56 mph | 750 |
Month by month
Freeway by freeway, 2016 vs 2026
| Freeway | 2016 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-5 North | 0.85 h | 0.50 h | -40% |
| I-5 South | 1.11 h | 0.82 h | -26% |
| I-8 East | 0.51 h | 0.46 h | -10% |
| I-8 West | 0.54 h | 0.16 h | -71% |
| I-15 North | 0.39 h | 0.30 h | -22% |
| I-15 South | 0.74 h | 0.59 h | -20% |
| I-805 North | 1.19 h | 0.49 h | -59% |
| I-805 South | 1.96 h | 1.33 h | -32% |
| SR-52 East | 1.11 h | 0.68 h | -39% |
| SR-52 West | 0.23 h | 0.06 h | -76% |
| SR-54 East | 0.07 h | 0.00 h | -100% |
| SR-54 West | 0.01 h | 0.00 h | – |
| SR-56 East | 1.61 h | 0.54 h | -67% |
| SR-56 West | 1.17 h | 0.27 h | -77% |
| SR-67 North | 0.18 h | 0.01 h | -94% |
| SR-67 South | 0.06 h | 0.19 h | +226% |
| SR-76 East | 0.02 h | 0.00 h | – |
| SR-76 West | 0.03 h | 0.02 h | -42% |
| SR-78 East | 1.71 h | 1.21 h | -29% |
| SR-78 West | 0.89 h | 0.36 h | -59% |
| SR-94 East | 0.17 h | 0.11 h | -34% |
| SR-94 West | 1.54 h | 0.32 h | -79% |
| SR-125 North | 2.17 h | 0.00 h | -100% |
| SR-125 South | 1.99 h | 0.43 h | -78% |
| SR-163 North | 0.21 h | 0.12 h | -42% |
| SR-163 South | 1.03 h | 0.28 h | -73% |
| SR-905 East | 0.02 h | 0.56 h | – |
| SR-905 West | 0.00 h | 0.00 h | – |
Weekday delay per 1,000 vehicle-miles on each freeway direction within San Diego.
How this is measured
Every hour, road sensors report how many vehicles passed and how fast they went. For each sensor we multiply the vehicles by the length of freeway it covers to get vehicle-miles, and count the extra time spent below 35 mph as delay. Dividing delay by miles driven gives a congestion measure that doesn't change just because sensors are added or retired. Only weekdays with at least 20 hours of data are used. Data: Caltrans PeMS.
See also: how rain slows San Diego traffic, by time of day and how hard it rains.