Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to SAN

Right now (2:48 pm PDT): about 33 minutes via I-5 South, usually 37 at this time.

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.

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	33	33	35	36	36	33	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	33	45	43	34	33	33	33	34	38	45	46	38	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	33	45	40	33	33	33	33	33	38	43	45	36	32	31	31
Thu	30	31	32	46	39	34	34	33	33	33	38	46	46	37	32	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	34	32	33	33	33	34	36	42	43	41	37	32	32	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	37	38	39	36	37	37	35	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	36	39	39	37	36	35	33	33	32	32	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Carlsbad to SAN (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 30 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 (39 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 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 San Diego International Airport (SAN) (Vera Cruz Avenue) 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?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 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 30 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.

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 · 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	31	31	32	40	35	33	33	33	33	33	35	36	36	33	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	33	45	43	34	33	33	33	34	38	45	46	38	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	33	45	40	33	33	33	33	33	38	43	45	36	32	31	31
Thu	30	31	32	46	39	34	34	33	33	33	38	46	46	37	32	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	34	32	33	33	33	34	36	42	43	41	37	32	32	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	37	38	39	36	37	37	35	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	36	39	39	37	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	33	33	35	36	36	33	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	33	45	43	34	33	33	33	34	38	45	46	38	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	33	45	40	33	33	33	33	33	38	43	45	36	32	31	31
Thu	30	31	32	46	39	34	34	33	33	33	38	46	46	37	32	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	34	32	33	33	33	34	36	42	43	41	37	32	32	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	37	38	39	36	37	37	35	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	36	39	39	37	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	33	33	35	36	36	33	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	33	45	43	34	33	33	33	34	38	45	46	38	32	31	31
Wed	31	31	33	45	40	33	33	33	33	33	38	43	45	36	32	31	31
Thu	30	31	32	46	39	34	34	33	33	33	38	46	46	37	32	31	31
Fri	31	31	32	34	32	33	33	33	34	36	42	43	41	37	32	32	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	33	37	38	39	36	37	37	35	33	32	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	32	36	39	39	37	36	35	33	33	32	32	31