Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to Huntington Beach

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 59 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North, usually 58 at this time.

Only 20% 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 Huntington Beach 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	56	57	57	57	58	59	59	60	59	58	58	58	59	58	58	58	56
Tue	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	58	58	58	58	57
Wed	56	58	57	58	59	61	60	60	59	59	60	60	58	58	59	59	57
Thu	56	58	57	58	59	59	59	59	60	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	57
Fri	56	57	57	57	58	60	59	62	63	66	69	67	67	63	59	59	57
Sat	56	57	57	57	58	59	70	75	71	70	70	66	63	60	58	59	57
Sun	56	57	57	57	57	60	68	77	77	76	73	68	66	61	59	59	56

About this drive

On weekdays the 59-mile drive from Carlsbad to Huntington Beach (via I-5 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 56 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 60 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (77 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (14 to 18 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carlsbad to central Huntington Beach 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 Huntington Beach?

On weekdays, leave early in the morning or late in the evening. The drive usually takes about 56 minutes then, versus up to 69 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Carlsbad to Huntington Beach?

The 59-mile drive usually takes 56 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 60 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to Huntington Beach?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 69 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (21 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (13 miles)

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

More drives

Huntington Beach 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	56	57	57	57	58	59	59	60	59	58	58	58	59	58	58	58	56
Tue	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	58	58	58	58	57
Wed	56	58	57	58	59	61	60	60	59	59	60	60	58	58	59	59	57
Thu	56	58	57	58	59	59	59	59	60	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	57
Fri	56	57	57	57	58	60	59	62	63	66	69	67	67	63	59	59	57
Sat	56	57	57	57	58	59	70	75	71	70	70	66	63	60	58	59	57
Sun	56	57	57	57	57	60	68	77	77	76	73	68	66	61	59	59	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	57	57	57	58	59	59	60	59	58	58	58	59	58	58	58	56
Tue	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	58	58	58	58	57
Wed	56	58	57	58	59	61	60	60	59	59	60	60	58	58	59	59	57
Thu	56	58	57	58	59	59	59	59	60	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	57
Fri	56	57	57	57	58	60	59	62	63	66	69	67	67	63	59	59	57
Sat	56	57	57	57	58	59	70	75	71	70	70	66	63	60	58	59	57
Sun	56	57	57	57	57	60	68	77	77	76	73	68	66	61	59	59	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	57	57	57	58	59	59	60	59	58	58	58	59	58	58	58	56
Tue	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	58	58	58	58	57
Wed	56	58	57	58	59	61	60	60	59	59	60	60	58	58	59	59	57
Thu	56	58	57	58	59	59	59	59	60	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	57
Fri	56	57	57	57	58	60	59	62	63	66	69	67	67	63	59	59	57
Sat	56	57	57	57	58	59	70	75	71	70	70	66	63	60	58	59	57
Sun	56	57	57	57	57	60	68	77	77	76	73	68	66	61	59	59	56