Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to Westminster

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 62 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North, usually 59 at this time.

Only 19% 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 Westminster 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	55	55	56	56	57	58	58	59	59	59	60	61	62	57	56	56	55
Tue	55	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	59	59	63	68	65	57	57	57	56
Wed	55	56	58	58	58	60	59	59	59	60	67	71	66	58	57	57	55
Thu	55	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	60	60	63	64	64	58	58	57	55
Fri	55	56	56	57	58	59	59	61	63	66	70	68	64	60	58	57	56
Sat	55	55	55	56	57	58	65	69	67	67	65	62	61	58	57	57	55
Sun	55	56	55	56	56	58	64	69	71	71	69	66	64	59	57	58	55

About this drive

On weekdays the 62-mile drive from Carlsbad to Westminster (via I-5 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 55 minutes and up to 71 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 2 pm or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 60 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (71 minutes).

About 59 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (3 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carlsbad to central Westminster 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 Westminster?

On weekdays, leave before 2 pm or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 55 minutes then, versus up to 71 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 62-mile drive usually takes 55 to 71 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 60 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to Westminster?

Leaving around 4 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 71 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (21 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (7 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Westminster 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	55	55	56	56	57	58	58	59	59	59	60	61	62	57	56	56	55
Tue	55	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	59	59	63	68	65	57	57	57	56
Wed	55	56	58	58	58	60	59	59	59	60	67	71	66	58	57	57	55
Thu	55	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	60	60	63	64	64	58	58	57	55
Fri	55	56	56	57	58	59	59	61	63	66	70	68	64	60	58	57	56
Sat	55	55	55	56	57	58	65	69	67	67	65	62	61	58	57	57	55
Sun	55	56	55	56	56	58	64	69	71	71	69	66	64	59	57	58	55

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	55	56	56	57	58	58	59	59	59	60	61	62	57	56	56	55
Tue	55	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	59	59	63	68	65	57	57	57	56
Wed	55	56	58	58	58	60	59	59	59	60	67	71	66	58	57	57	55
Thu	55	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	60	60	63	64	64	58	58	57	55
Fri	55	56	56	57	58	59	59	61	63	66	70	68	64	60	58	57	56
Sat	55	55	55	56	57	58	65	69	67	67	65	62	61	58	57	57	55
Sun	55	56	55	56	56	58	64	69	71	71	69	66	64	59	57	58	55

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	55	56	56	57	58	58	59	59	59	60	61	62	57	56	56	55
Tue	55	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	59	59	63	68	65	57	57	57	56
Wed	55	56	58	58	58	60	59	59	59	60	67	71	66	58	57	57	55
Thu	55	56	57	57	58	59	59	59	60	60	63	64	64	58	58	57	55
Fri	55	56	56	57	58	59	59	61	63	66	70	68	64	60	58	57	56
Sat	55	55	55	56	57	58	65	69	67	67	65	62	61	58	57	57	55
Sun	55	56	55	56	56	58	64	69	71	71	69	66	64	59	57	58	55