Best Time to Drive from Aliso Viejo to El Cajon

Right now (6:20 pm PDT): about 80 minutes via I-5 South, usually 74 at this time.

Only 62% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Aliso Viejo to El Cajon by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	73	78	79	74	76	75	75	76	81	85	83	76	73	73	73	72
Tue	71	74	82	85	79	77	76	76	77	83	87	86	84	74	73	73	72
Wed	71	73	82	86	78	76	76	76	76	84	88	88	86	74	73	73	72
Thu	71	73	82	83	77	77	77	76	77	85	91	89	85	74	74	73	71
Fri	71	74	76	74	75	79	83	86	92	101	104	100	90	82	77	73	72
Sat	72	72	72	73	80	89	94	93	90	87	86	89	81	77	74	73	72
Sun	72	71	71	72	73	75	81	80	83	82	78	79	76	75	75	75	72

About this drive

On weekdays the 81-mile drive from Aliso Viejo to El Cajon (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 71 minutes and up to 104 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 80 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (96 minutes).

About 79 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (2 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Aliso Viejo to central El Cajon along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Aliso Viejo to El Cajon?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 71 minutes then, versus up to 104 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Aliso Viejo to El Cajon?

The 81-mile drive usually takes 71 to 104 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 80 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Aliso Viejo to El Cajon?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 104 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (37 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (18 miles) · SR-52 East in San Diego (13 miles) · SR-73 South in Orange County (4 miles) · I-805 South in San Diego (4 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

El Cajon to Aliso Viejo (return trip) · Aliso Viejo to Los Angeles · Aliso Viejo to Santa Monica · Aliso Viejo to San Diego · Aliso Viejo to Long Beach · Aliso Viejo to Anaheim · Aliso Viejo to Riverside · Aliso Viejo to Santa Ana · Aliso Viejo to Irvine · Aliso Viejo to San Bernardino · Aliso Viejo to Fontana · Aliso Viejo to Moreno Valley

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	73	78	79	74	76	75	75	76	81	85	83	76	73	73	73	72
Tue	71	74	82	85	79	77	76	76	77	83	87	86	84	74	73	73	72
Wed	71	73	82	86	78	76	76	76	76	84	88	88	86	74	73	73	72
Thu	71	73	82	83	77	77	77	76	77	85	91	89	85	74	74	73	71
Fri	71	74	76	74	75	79	83	86	92	101	104	100	90	82	77	73	72
Sat	72	72	72	73	80	89	94	93	90	87	86	89	81	77	74	73	72
Sun	72	71	71	72	73	75	81	80	83	82	78	79	76	75	75	75	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	73	78	79	74	76	75	75	76	81	85	83	76	73	73	73	72
Tue	71	74	82	85	79	77	76	76	77	83	87	86	84	74	73	73	72
Wed	71	73	82	86	78	76	76	76	76	84	88	88	86	74	73	73	72
Thu	71	73	82	83	77	77	77	76	77	85	91	89	85	74	74	73	71
Fri	71	74	76	74	75	79	83	86	92	101	104	100	90	82	77	73	72
Sat	72	72	72	73	80	89	94	93	90	87	86	89	81	77	74	73	72
Sun	72	71	71	72	73	75	81	80	83	82	78	79	76	75	75	75	72

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	73	78	79	74	76	75	75	76	81	85	83	76	73	73	73	72
Tue	71	74	82	85	79	77	76	76	77	83	87	86	84	74	73	73	72
Wed	71	73	82	86	78	76	76	76	76	84	88	88	86	74	73	73	72
Thu	71	73	82	83	77	77	77	76	77	85	91	89	85	74	74	73	71
Fri	71	74	76	74	75	79	83	86	92	101	104	100	90	82	77	73	72
Sat	72	72	72	73	80	89	94	93	90	87	86	89	81	77	74	73	72
Sun	72	71	71	72	73	75	81	80	83	82	78	79	76	75	75	75	72