Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to Mission Viejo

Right now (6:48 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via I-5 North, usually 37 at this time.

Only 57% 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 Mission Viejo 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	35	35	36	36	37	37	37	38	38	37	37	37	37	36	36	36	35
Tue	35	35	36	36	37	38	38	38	38	37	37	37	36	36	36	36	35
Wed	35	36	36	36	37	39	38	38	38	37	37	38	36	36	37	36	35
Thu	35	36	36	36	37	38	38	38	38	37	37	38	37	37	37	37	35
Fri	35	35	35	36	37	38	38	40	41	44	45	43	43	40	37	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	38	45	49	47	47	46	43	41	38	37	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	38	45	53	53	52	50	46	44	39	37	38	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Carlsbad to Mission Viejo (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 45 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 10:30 am or after 4:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (54 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.5 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 Mission Viejo 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 Mission Viejo?

On weekdays, leave before 10:30 am or after 4:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 45 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Carlsbad to Mission Viejo?

The 40-mile drive usually takes 35 to 45 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to Mission Viejo?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 45 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (21 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (17 miles)

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

More drives

Mission Viejo 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	35	35	36	36	37	37	37	38	38	37	37	37	37	36	36	36	35
Tue	35	35	36	36	37	38	38	38	38	37	37	37	36	36	36	36	35
Wed	35	36	36	36	37	39	38	38	38	37	37	38	36	36	37	36	35
Thu	35	36	36	36	37	38	38	38	38	37	37	38	37	37	37	37	35
Fri	35	35	35	36	37	38	38	40	41	44	45	43	43	40	37	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	38	45	49	47	47	46	43	41	38	37	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	38	45	53	53	52	50	46	44	39	37	38	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	35	36	36	37	37	37	38	38	37	37	37	37	36	36	36	35
Tue	35	35	36	36	37	38	38	38	38	37	37	37	36	36	36	36	35
Wed	35	36	36	36	37	39	38	38	38	37	37	38	36	36	37	36	35
Thu	35	36	36	36	37	38	38	38	38	37	37	38	37	37	37	37	35
Fri	35	35	35	36	37	38	38	40	41	44	45	43	43	40	37	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	38	45	49	47	47	46	43	41	38	37	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	38	45	53	53	52	50	46	44	39	37	38	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	35	36	36	37	37	37	38	38	37	37	37	37	36	36	36	35
Tue	35	35	36	36	37	38	38	38	38	37	37	37	36	36	36	36	35
Wed	35	36	36	36	37	39	38	38	38	37	37	38	36	36	37	36	35
Thu	35	36	36	36	37	38	38	38	38	37	37	38	37	37	37	37	35
Fri	35	35	35	36	37	38	38	40	41	44	45	43	43	40	37	37	35
Sat	35	35	35	35	36	38	45	49	47	47	46	43	41	38	37	37	35
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	38	45	53	53	52	50	46	44	39	37	38	35