Best Time to Drive from Anaheim to San Diego

Right now (9:48 pm PDT): about 90 minutes via I-5 South, usually 89 at this time.

Only 58% 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 Anaheim to San Diego 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	88	94	107	104	101	94	93	94	94	100	103	101	99	94	90	89	88
Tue	88	96	116	114	102	98	95	95	96	103	113	113	105	96	91	90	89
Wed	88	95	115	112	103	98	96	95	96	106	114	115	104	97	91	90	89
Thu	88	95	113	108	103	99	97	95	96	107	119	116	104	97	92	90	89
Fri	88	94	101	100	100	100	104	107	116	122	128	125	115	99	94	90	89
Sat	88	89	90	94	109	117	125	125	122	120	119	114	105	101	93	90	89
Sun	88	88	89	89	92	98	103	102	102	101	100	97	94	92	93	92	88

About this drive

On weekdays the 96-mile drive from Anaheim to San Diego (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 88 minutes and up to 128 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 100 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (126 minutes).

About 89 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (11 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Disneyland to downtown San Diego (East Broadway) 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 Anaheim to San Diego?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 88 minutes then, versus up to 128 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Anaheim to San Diego?

The 96-mile drive usually takes 88 to 128 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 100 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Anaheim to San Diego?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 128 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (48 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (40 miles)

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

More drives

San Diego to Anaheim (return trip) · Anaheim to Los Angeles · Anaheim to Santa Monica · Anaheim to Pasadena · Anaheim to Long Beach · Anaheim to West Covina · Anaheim to Burbank · Anaheim to Glendale · Anaheim to Santa Clarita · Anaheim to Van Nuys · Anaheim to Torrance · Anaheim to LAX

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	94	107	104	101	94	93	94	94	100	103	101	99	94	90	89	88
Tue	88	96	116	114	102	98	95	95	96	103	113	113	105	96	91	90	89
Wed	88	95	115	112	103	98	96	95	96	106	114	115	104	97	91	90	89
Thu	88	95	113	108	103	99	97	95	96	107	119	116	104	97	92	90	89
Fri	88	94	101	100	100	100	104	107	116	122	128	125	115	99	94	90	89
Sat	88	89	90	94	109	117	125	125	122	120	119	114	105	101	93	90	89
Sun	88	88	89	89	92	98	103	102	102	101	100	97	94	92	93	92	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	94	107	104	101	94	93	94	94	100	103	101	99	94	90	89	88
Tue	88	96	116	114	102	98	95	95	96	103	113	113	105	96	91	90	89
Wed	88	95	115	112	103	98	96	95	96	106	114	115	104	97	91	90	89
Thu	88	95	113	108	103	99	97	95	96	107	119	116	104	97	92	90	89
Fri	88	94	101	100	100	100	104	107	116	122	128	125	115	99	94	90	89
Sat	88	89	90	94	109	117	125	125	122	120	119	114	105	101	93	90	89
Sun	88	88	89	89	92	98	103	102	102	101	100	97	94	92	93	92	88

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	94	107	104	101	94	93	94	94	100	103	101	99	94	90	89	88
Tue	88	96	116	114	102	98	95	95	96	103	113	113	105	96	91	90	89
Wed	88	95	115	112	103	98	96	95	96	106	114	115	104	97	91	90	89
Thu	88	95	113	108	103	99	97	95	96	107	119	116	104	97	92	90	89
Fri	88	94	101	100	100	100	104	107	116	122	128	125	115	99	94	90	89
Sat	88	89	90	94	109	117	125	125	122	120	119	114	105	101	93	90	89
Sun	88	88	89	89	92	98	103	102	102	101	100	97	94	92	93	92	88