Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to Fountain Valley

Right now (5:49 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North, usually 53 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 Carlsbad to Fountain Valley 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	50	50	50	51	52	52	53	54	54	53	54	54	55	52	52	52	51
Tue	50	51	51	52	52	53	54	53	53	54	55	58	57	53	52	52	51
Wed	50	51	51	52	52	54	54	53	54	54	56	59	57	54	53	53	50
Thu	50	51	51	51	52	53	54	53	54	54	56	57	57	53	53	52	50
Fri	50	51	51	52	53	54	54	56	57	60	62	62	61	56	54	53	51
Sat	50	50	50	51	51	53	59	63	61	61	60	57	56	53	52	53	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	53	58	63	66	66	64	61	59	54	53	53	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 57-mile drive from Carlsbad to Fountain Valley (via I-5 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 62 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 2 pm or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (66 minutes).

About 55 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.4 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 Carlsbad to central Fountain Valley 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 Carlsbad to Fountain Valley?

On weekdays, leave before 2 pm or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 62 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Carlsbad to Fountain Valley?

The 57-mile drive usually takes 50 to 62 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to Fountain Valley?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 62 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (21 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

Fountain Valley to Carlsbad (return trip) · Carlsbad to San Diego · Carlsbad to Escondido · Carlsbad to Chula Vista · Carlsbad to La Jolla · Carlsbad to El Cajon · Carlsbad to SAN · Carlsbad to Long Beach · Carlsbad to Anaheim · Carlsbad to Riverside · Carlsbad to Santa Ana · Carlsbad to Irvine

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	50	50	51	52	52	53	54	54	53	54	54	55	52	52	52	51
Tue	50	51	51	52	52	53	54	53	53	54	55	58	57	53	52	52	51
Wed	50	51	51	52	52	54	54	53	54	54	56	59	57	54	53	53	50
Thu	50	51	51	51	52	53	54	53	54	54	56	57	57	53	53	52	50
Fri	50	51	51	52	53	54	54	56	57	60	62	62	61	56	54	53	51
Sat	50	50	50	51	51	53	59	63	61	61	60	57	56	53	52	53	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	53	58	63	66	66	64	61	59	54	53	53	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	50	50	51	52	52	53	54	54	53	54	54	55	52	52	52	51
Tue	50	51	51	52	52	53	54	53	53	54	55	58	57	53	52	52	51
Wed	50	51	51	52	52	54	54	53	54	54	56	59	57	54	53	53	50
Thu	50	51	51	51	52	53	54	53	54	54	56	57	57	53	53	52	50
Fri	50	51	51	52	53	54	54	56	57	60	62	62	61	56	54	53	51
Sat	50	50	50	51	51	53	59	63	61	61	60	57	56	53	52	53	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	53	58	63	66	66	64	61	59	54	53	53	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	50	50	51	52	52	53	54	54	53	54	54	55	52	52	52	51
Tue	50	51	51	52	52	53	54	53	53	54	55	58	57	53	52	52	51
Wed	50	51	51	52	52	54	54	53	54	54	56	59	57	54	53	53	50
Thu	50	51	51	51	52	53	54	53	54	54	56	57	57	53	53	52	50
Fri	50	51	51	52	53	54	54	56	57	60	62	62	61	56	54	53	51
Sat	50	50	50	51	51	53	59	63	61	61	60	57	56	53	52	53	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	53	58	63	66	66	64	61	59	54	53	53	50