Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to SAN

Right now (11:18 pm PDT): about 31 minutes via I-5 South.

Only 55% 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.

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Carlsbad to SAN (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 47 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (40 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: SAN to Carlsbad

Freeway, about 30 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 3 miles: 5 to 10 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from central Carlsbad to San Diego International Airport (SAN) (Vera Cruz Avenue) along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Carlsbad to SAN 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	31	31	32	40	35	33	33	33	32	32	34	36	35	32	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	34	44	41	34	33	33	33	34	38	44	46	38	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	33	44	40	33	33	32	34	35	40	42	45	36	32	31	31
Thu	31	32	33	45	39	34	34	33	33	33	38	45	46	36	31	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	34	32	32	33	33	33	36	42	44	42	37	32	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	38	39	38	35	36	35	34	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	37	40	39	38	36	35	33	33	32	32	31

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?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 47 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 33-mile drive usually takes 31 to 47 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to SAN?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 47 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (29 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

SAN to Carlsbad (return trip) · Carlsbad to San Diego · Carlsbad to Escondido · Carlsbad to Chula Vista · Carlsbad to La Jolla · Carlsbad to El Cajon

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	32	40	35	33	33	33	32	32	34	36	35	32	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	34	44	41	34	33	33	33	34	38	44	46	38	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	33	44	40	33	33	32	34	35	40	42	45	36	32	31	31
Thu	31	32	33	45	39	34	34	33	33	33	38	45	46	36	31	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	34	32	32	33	33	33	36	42	44	42	37	32	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	38	39	38	35	36	35	34	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	37	40	39	38	36	35	33	33	32	32	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	32	40	35	33	33	33	32	32	34	36	35	32	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	34	44	41	34	33	33	33	34	38	44	46	38	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	33	44	40	33	33	32	34	35	40	42	45	36	32	31	31
Thu	31	32	33	45	39	34	34	33	33	33	38	45	46	36	31	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	34	32	32	33	33	33	36	42	44	42	37	32	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	38	39	38	35	36	35	34	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	37	40	39	38	36	35	33	33	32	32	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	32	40	35	33	33	33	32	32	34	36	35	32	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	34	44	41	34	33	33	33	34	38	44	46	38	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	33	44	40	33	33	32	34	35	40	42	45	36	32	31	31
Thu	31	32	33	45	39	34	34	33	33	33	38	45	46	36	31	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	34	32	32	33	33	33	36	42	44	42	37	32	31	31
Sat	31	31	31	32	32	33	38	39	38	35	36	35	34	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	37	40	39	38	36	35	33	33	32	32	31