Best Time to Drive from Brea to Carlsbad

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 65 minutes via I-5 South, usually 63 at this time.

Only 14% 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 Brea to Carlsbad 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	59	65	72	77	73	66	64	64	65	65	65	67	69	65	61	60	60
Tue	60	66	78	81	75	70	67	68	66	66	68	68	73	69	62	61	60
Wed	59	65	77	81	77	71	68	67	66	66	69	68	72	69	62	61	60
Thu	59	66	74	77	75	70	68	67	68	67	70	70	72	68	62	61	60
Fri	59	65	73	74	72	70	73	78	80	83	85	85	79	69	65	63	60
Sat	60	60	61	65	73	80	83	82	83	79	77	79	71	66	63	62	60
Sun	60	60	60	60	62	67	73	73	72	72	71	69	65	63	63	64	60

About this drive

On weekdays the 68-mile drive from Brea to Carlsbad (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 59 minutes and up to 87 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 69 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (83 minutes).

About 65 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Brea to central Carlsbad 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 Brea to Carlsbad?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 59 minutes then, versus up to 87 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Brea to Carlsbad?

The 68-mile drive usually takes 59 to 87 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 69 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Brea to Carlsbad?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 87 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (40 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (16 miles) · SR-57 South in Orange County (9 miles)

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

More drives

Carlsbad to Brea (return trip) · Brea to Los Angeles · Brea to San Diego · Brea to Long Beach · Brea to Anaheim · Brea to Riverside · Brea to Santa Ana · Brea to Irvine · Brea to San Bernardino · Brea to Fontana · Brea to Moreno Valley · Brea to Huntington Beach

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	65	72	77	73	66	64	64	65	65	65	67	69	65	61	60	60
Tue	60	66	78	81	75	70	67	68	66	66	68	68	73	69	62	61	60
Wed	59	65	77	81	77	71	68	67	66	66	69	68	72	69	62	61	60
Thu	59	66	74	77	75	70	68	67	68	67	70	70	72	68	62	61	60
Fri	59	65	73	74	72	70	73	78	80	83	85	85	79	69	65	63	60
Sat	60	60	61	65	73	80	83	82	83	79	77	79	71	66	63	62	60
Sun	60	60	60	60	62	67	73	73	72	72	71	69	65	63	63	64	60

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	65	72	77	73	66	64	64	65	65	65	67	69	65	61	60	60
Tue	60	66	78	81	75	70	67	68	66	66	68	68	73	69	62	61	60
Wed	59	65	77	81	77	71	68	67	66	66	69	68	72	69	62	61	60
Thu	59	66	74	77	75	70	68	67	68	67	70	70	72	68	62	61	60
Fri	59	65	73	74	72	70	73	78	80	83	85	85	79	69	65	63	60
Sat	60	60	61	65	73	80	83	82	83	79	77	79	71	66	63	62	60
Sun	60	60	60	60	62	67	73	73	72	72	71	69	65	63	63	64	60

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	59	65	72	77	73	66	64	64	65	65	65	67	69	65	61	60	60
Tue	60	66	78	81	75	70	67	68	66	66	68	68	73	69	62	61	60
Wed	59	65	77	81	77	71	68	67	66	66	69	68	72	69	62	61	60
Thu	59	66	74	77	75	70	68	67	68	67	70	70	72	68	62	61	60
Fri	59	65	73	74	72	70	73	78	80	83	85	85	79	69	65	63	60
Sat	60	60	61	65	73	80	83	82	83	79	77	79	71	66	63	62	60
Sun	60	60	60	60	62	67	73	73	72	72	71	69	65	63	63	64	60