Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to Riverside

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 77 minutes via I-215 North and I-15 North, usually 82 at this time.

Only 56% 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 Riverside 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	73	81	90	81	79	80	81	82	83	87	93	94	97	82	76	75	74
Tue	73	88	92	84	80	80	81	81	80	86	101	104	98	83	77	76	74
Wed	74	90	90	88	79	81	81	86	83	89	103	103	96	82	77	76	73
Thu	73	90	94	83	79	80	82	82	84	93	105	108	105	92	80	77	73
Fri	74	78	85	79	78	83	83	94	106	132	144	130	127	106	81	78	73
Sat	73	73	74	74	75	78	120	126	123	124	119	108	95	83	76	76	73
Sun	74	74	74	75	75	83	123	136	132	123	119	105	100	87	78	76	73

About this drive

On weekdays the 74-mile drive from Carlsbad to Riverside (via I-215 North and I-15 North) usually takes as little as 73 minutes and up to 144 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 87 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Sundays (136 minutes).

About 54 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 19 miles surface streets (25 to 67 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carlsbad to central Riverside 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 Riverside?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 73 minutes then, versus up to 144 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 74-mile drive usually takes 73 to 144 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 87 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to Riverside?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 144 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-215 North in Inland Empire (29 miles) · I-15 North in Inland Empire (8 miles) · I-15 North in San Diego (7 miles) · SR-76 East in San Diego (6 miles) · I-5 North in San Diego (5 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

Riverside 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 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	73	81	90	81	79	80	81	82	83	87	93	94	97	82	76	75	74
Tue	73	88	92	84	80	80	81	81	80	86	101	104	98	83	77	76	74
Wed	74	90	90	88	79	81	81	86	83	89	103	103	96	82	77	76	73
Thu	73	90	94	83	79	80	82	82	84	93	105	108	105	92	80	77	73
Fri	74	78	85	79	78	83	83	94	106	132	144	130	127	106	81	78	73
Sat	73	73	74	74	75	78	120	126	123	124	119	108	95	83	76	76	73
Sun	74	74	74	75	75	83	123	136	132	123	119	105	100	87	78	76	73

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	73	81	90	81	79	80	81	82	83	87	93	94	97	82	76	75	74
Tue	73	88	92	84	80	80	81	81	80	86	101	104	98	83	77	76	74
Wed	74	90	90	88	79	81	81	86	83	89	103	103	96	82	77	76	73
Thu	73	90	94	83	79	80	82	82	84	93	105	108	105	92	80	77	73
Fri	74	78	85	79	78	83	83	94	106	132	144	130	127	106	81	78	73
Sat	73	73	74	74	75	78	120	126	123	124	119	108	95	83	76	76	73
Sun	74	74	74	75	75	83	123	136	132	123	119	105	100	87	78	76	73

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	73	81	90	81	79	80	81	82	83	87	93	94	97	82	76	75	74
Tue	73	88	92	84	80	80	81	81	80	86	101	104	98	83	77	76	74
Wed	74	90	90	88	79	81	81	86	83	89	103	103	96	82	77	76	73
Thu	73	90	94	83	79	80	82	82	84	93	105	108	105	92	80	77	73
Fri	74	78	85	79	78	83	83	94	106	132	144	130	127	106	81	78	73
Sat	73	73	74	74	75	78	120	126	123	124	119	108	95	83	76	76	73
Sun	74	74	74	75	75	83	123	136	132	123	119	105	100	87	78	76	73