Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to Temecula

Right now (5:33 pm PDT): about 39 minutes via I-15 North and SR-76 East and I-5 North, usually 46 at this time.

Only 31% 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 Temecula 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	37	49	44	37	38	39	39	40	39	39	41	42	49	42	38	38	37
Tue	37	48	49	39	38	39	39	39	39	39	44	47	47	41	38	38	37
Wed	37	48	50	39	38	39	39	40	39	39	47	51	49	42	39	38	37
Thu	37	48	48	38	38	39	40	40	40	41	50	54	59	52	43	39	37
Fri	37	39	38	38	38	40	39	46	51	65	76	70	74	61	44	41	38
Sat	37	37	37	37	39	41	57	60	62	68	58	53	49	42	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	42	66	74	72	66	62	55	51	43	39	39	37

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Carlsbad to Temecula (via I-15 North and SR-76 East and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 77 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 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 41 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Sundays (74 minutes).

About 20 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 14 miles surface streets (19 to 44 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carlsbad to central Temecula 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 Temecula?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 77 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 34-mile drive usually takes 37 to 77 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 41 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to Temecula?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 77 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-15 North in San Diego (7 miles) · SR-76 East in San Diego (6 miles) · I-5 North in San Diego (5 miles) · I-15 North in Inland Empire (2 miles)

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

More drives

Temecula 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	37	49	44	37	38	39	39	40	39	39	41	42	49	42	38	38	37
Tue	37	48	49	39	38	39	39	39	39	39	44	47	47	41	38	38	37
Wed	37	48	50	39	38	39	39	40	39	39	47	51	49	42	39	38	37
Thu	37	48	48	38	38	39	40	40	40	41	50	54	59	52	43	39	37
Fri	37	39	38	38	38	40	39	46	51	65	76	70	74	61	44	41	38
Sat	37	37	37	37	39	41	57	60	62	68	58	53	49	42	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	42	66	74	72	66	62	55	51	43	39	39	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	49	44	37	38	39	39	40	39	39	41	42	49	42	38	38	37
Tue	37	48	49	39	38	39	39	39	39	39	44	47	47	41	38	38	37
Wed	37	48	50	39	38	39	39	40	39	39	47	51	49	42	39	38	37
Thu	37	48	48	38	38	39	40	40	40	41	50	54	59	52	43	39	37
Fri	37	39	38	38	38	40	39	46	51	65	76	70	74	61	44	41	38
Sat	37	37	37	37	39	41	57	60	62	68	58	53	49	42	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	42	66	74	72	66	62	55	51	43	39	39	37

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	49	44	37	38	39	39	40	39	39	41	42	49	42	38	38	37
Tue	37	48	49	39	38	39	39	39	39	39	44	47	47	41	38	38	37
Wed	37	48	50	39	38	39	39	40	39	39	47	51	49	42	39	38	37
Thu	37	48	48	38	38	39	40	40	40	41	50	54	59	52	43	39	37
Fri	37	39	38	38	38	40	39	46	51	65	76	70	74	61	44	41	38
Sat	37	37	37	37	39	41	57	60	62	68	58	53	49	42	38	38	37
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	42	66	74	72	66	62	55	51	43	39	39	37