Best Time to Drive from Brea to San Diego

Right now (5:17 pm PDT): about 117 minutes via I-5 South, usually 104 at this time.

Only 66% 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 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	95	109	109	104	96	95	96	96	99	101	100	99	94	90	89	89
Tue	89	98	119	118	105	100	98	98	98	103	114	113	106	97	91	90	89
Wed	88	96	119	116	107	101	98	98	98	106	113	113	106	98	91	90	89
Thu	88	97	117	111	106	102	99	98	101	106	119	116	105	97	91	90	89
Fri	89	95	104	104	103	103	107	114	123	135	136	128	114	99	94	90	89
Sat	89	89	91	95	112	119	124	126	123	119	119	118	106	98	93	91	90
Sun	88	88	89	90	92	98	103	103	102	102	102	98	95	92	93	92	89

About this drive

On weekdays the 101-mile drive from Brea to San Diego (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 88 minutes and up to 136 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 103 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (126 minutes).

About 99 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Brea to downtown San Diego 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 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 136 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 101-mile drive usually takes 88 to 136 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 103 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Brea to San Diego?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 136 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (46 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (41 miles) · SR-57 South in Orange County (9 miles) · I-805 South in San Diego (3 miles)

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

More drives

Brea to Los Angeles · Brea to Long 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	88	95	109	109	104	96	95	96	96	99	101	100	99	94	90	89	89
Tue	89	98	119	118	105	100	98	98	98	103	114	113	106	97	91	90	89
Wed	88	96	119	116	107	101	98	98	98	106	113	113	106	98	91	90	89
Thu	88	97	117	111	106	102	99	98	101	106	119	116	105	97	91	90	89
Fri	89	95	104	104	103	103	107	114	123	135	136	128	114	99	94	90	89
Sat	89	89	91	95	112	119	124	126	123	119	119	118	106	98	93	91	90
Sun	88	88	89	90	92	98	103	103	102	102	102	98	95	92	93	92	89

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	95	109	109	104	96	95	96	96	99	101	100	99	94	90	89	89
Tue	89	98	119	118	105	100	98	98	98	103	114	113	106	97	91	90	89
Wed	88	96	119	116	107	101	98	98	98	106	113	113	106	98	91	90	89
Thu	88	97	117	111	106	102	99	98	101	106	119	116	105	97	91	90	89
Fri	89	95	104	104	103	103	107	114	123	135	136	128	114	99	94	90	89
Sat	89	89	91	95	112	119	124	126	123	119	119	118	106	98	93	91	90
Sun	88	88	89	90	92	98	103	103	102	102	102	98	95	92	93	92	89

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	88	95	109	109	104	96	95	96	96	99	101	100	99	94	90	89	89
Tue	89	98	119	118	105	100	98	98	98	103	114	113	106	97	91	90	89
Wed	88	96	119	116	107	101	98	98	98	106	113	113	106	98	91	90	89
Thu	88	97	117	111	106	102	99	98	101	106	119	116	105	97	91	90	89
Fri	89	95	104	104	103	103	107	114	123	135	136	128	114	99	94	90	89
Sat	89	89	91	95	112	119	124	126	123	119	119	118	106	98	93	91	90
Sun	88	88	89	90	92	98	103	103	102	102	102	98	95	92	93	92	89