Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to San Diego

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 35 minutes via I-5 South, usually 34 at this time.

Only 54% 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 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	32	33	34	42	37	35	35	34	34	34	39	40	39	34	33	33	32
Tue	32	33	35	47	44	36	35	35	35	35	42	50	50	40	33	33	32
Wed	32	33	34	46	42	35	34	34	35	35	43	49	50	38	34	33	32
Thu	32	33	34	47	41	36	35	35	34	35	43	52	50	39	34	33	33
Fri	32	33	33	35	33	34	34	35	35	39	47	48	45	39	34	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	33	33	34	39	40	41	38	38	38	37	35	34	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	38	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	34	34	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from Carlsbad to San Diego (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 52 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 32 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carlsbad to downtown San Diego (East Broadway) 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 San Diego?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 52 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 35-mile drive usually takes 32 to 52 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to San Diego?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 52 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (31 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Diego to Carlsbad (return trip) · 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 · Carlsbad to San Bernardino

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	42	37	35	35	34	34	34	39	40	39	34	33	33	32
Tue	32	33	35	47	44	36	35	35	35	35	42	50	50	40	33	33	32
Wed	32	33	34	46	42	35	34	34	35	35	43	49	50	38	34	33	32
Thu	32	33	34	47	41	36	35	35	34	35	43	52	50	39	34	33	33
Fri	32	33	33	35	33	34	34	35	35	39	47	48	45	39	34	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	33	33	34	39	40	41	38	38	38	37	35	34	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	38	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	34	34	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	42	37	35	35	34	34	34	39	40	39	34	33	33	32
Tue	32	33	35	47	44	36	35	35	35	35	42	50	50	40	33	33	32
Wed	32	33	34	46	42	35	34	34	35	35	43	49	50	38	34	33	32
Thu	32	33	34	47	41	36	35	35	34	35	43	52	50	39	34	33	33
Fri	32	33	33	35	33	34	34	35	35	39	47	48	45	39	34	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	33	33	34	39	40	41	38	38	38	37	35	34	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	38	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	34	34	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	42	37	35	35	34	34	34	39	40	39	34	33	33	32
Tue	32	33	35	47	44	36	35	35	35	35	42	50	50	40	33	33	32
Wed	32	33	34	46	42	35	34	34	35	35	43	49	50	38	34	33	32
Thu	32	33	34	47	41	36	35	35	34	35	43	52	50	39	34	33	33
Fri	32	33	33	35	33	34	34	35	35	39	47	48	45	39	34	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	33	33	34	39	40	41	38	38	38	37	35	34	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	38	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	34	34	32