Best Time to Drive from Aliso Viejo to San Marcos

Right now (12:51 am PDT): about 48 minutes via I-5 South.

Only 46% 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 San Marcos 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	47	47	48	47	48	49	49	49	49	49	50	49	48	47	47	47	47
Tue	47	48	51	49	49	52	49	50	49	49	51	53	49	50	48	48	47
Wed	47	48	52	48	49	50	51	50	49	51	53	55	52	48	49	48	47
Thu	47	48	51	48	48	51	53	51	50	54	58	57	51	49	50	49	47
Fri	47	48	49	48	49	55	60	67	77	77	78	81	74	66	60	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	48	60	70	73	73	70	63	62	76	57	52	49	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	50	72	57	59	71	54	65	52	50	50	51	47

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from Aliso Viejo to San Marcos (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 81 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 10 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10:30 am on Saturdays (85 minutes).

About 50 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (3 to 8 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 San Marcos 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 San Marcos?

On weekdays, leave before 10 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 81 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Aliso Viejo to San Marcos?

The 53-mile drive usually takes 47 to 81 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Aliso Viejo to San Marcos?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 81 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (18 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (18 miles) · SR-78 East in San Diego (10 miles) · SR-73 South in Orange County (4 miles)

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

More drives

San Marcos 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	47	47	48	47	48	49	49	49	49	49	50	49	48	47	47	47	47
Tue	47	48	51	49	49	52	49	50	49	49	51	53	49	50	48	48	47
Wed	47	48	52	48	49	50	51	50	49	51	53	55	52	48	49	48	47
Thu	47	48	51	48	48	51	53	51	50	54	58	57	51	49	50	49	47
Fri	47	48	49	48	49	55	60	67	77	77	78	81	74	66	60	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	48	60	70	73	73	70	63	62	76	57	52	49	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	50	72	57	59	71	54	65	52	50	50	51	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	47	48	47	48	49	49	49	49	49	50	49	48	47	47	47	47
Tue	47	48	51	49	49	52	49	50	49	49	51	53	49	50	48	48	47
Wed	47	48	52	48	49	50	51	50	49	51	53	55	52	48	49	48	47
Thu	47	48	51	48	48	51	53	51	50	54	58	57	51	49	50	49	47
Fri	47	48	49	48	49	55	60	67	77	77	78	81	74	66	60	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	48	60	70	73	73	70	63	62	76	57	52	49	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	50	72	57	59	71	54	65	52	50	50	51	47

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	47	48	47	48	49	49	49	49	49	50	49	48	47	47	47	47
Tue	47	48	51	49	49	52	49	50	49	49	51	53	49	50	48	48	47
Wed	47	48	52	48	49	50	51	50	49	51	53	55	52	48	49	48	47
Thu	47	48	51	48	48	51	53	51	50	54	58	57	51	49	50	49	47
Fri	47	48	49	48	49	55	60	67	77	77	78	81	74	66	60	49	47
Sat	47	47	47	48	60	70	73	73	70	63	62	76	57	52	49	48	47
Sun	47	47	47	47	48	50	72	57	59	71	54	65	52	50	50	51	47