Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to Whittier

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 84 minutes via I-5 North, usually 89 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 Whittier 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	71	74	80	81	78	80	81	84	85	89	89	89	89	82	76	74	71
Tue	71	75	82	82	80	82	83	84	85	90	92	94	93	86	78	74	72
Wed	71	75	81	82	80	82	83	83	84	89	93	95	92	86	80	74	71
Thu	71	75	79	80	81	82	83	84	85	89	93	95	91	86	80	75	72
Fri	71	75	77	79	80	84	83	86	90	97	99	100	98	89	82	77	72
Sat	71	72	73	74	76	80	87	91	89	91	90	89	84	82	80	77	72
Sun	71	72	72	73	74	77	84	90	93	93	91	88	86	83	79	77	71

About this drive

On weekdays the 81-mile drive from Carlsbad to Whittier (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 71 minutes and up to 100 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 86 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (93 minutes).

About 77 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (4 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carlsbad to central Whittier 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 Whittier?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 71 minutes then, versus up to 100 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 81-mile drive usually takes 71 to 100 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 86 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to Whittier?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 100 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (52 miles) · I-5 North in San Diego (21 miles) · I-605 North in Los Angeles (3 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Whittier 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	71	74	80	81	78	80	81	84	85	89	89	89	89	82	76	74	71
Tue	71	75	82	82	80	82	83	84	85	90	92	94	93	86	78	74	72
Wed	71	75	81	82	80	82	83	83	84	89	93	95	92	86	80	74	71
Thu	71	75	79	80	81	82	83	84	85	89	93	95	91	86	80	75	72
Fri	71	75	77	79	80	84	83	86	90	97	99	100	98	89	82	77	72
Sat	71	72	73	74	76	80	87	91	89	91	90	89	84	82	80	77	72
Sun	71	72	72	73	74	77	84	90	93	93	91	88	86	83	79	77	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	74	80	81	78	80	81	84	85	89	89	89	89	82	76	74	71
Tue	71	75	82	82	80	82	83	84	85	90	92	94	93	86	78	74	72
Wed	71	75	81	82	80	82	83	83	84	89	93	95	92	86	80	74	71
Thu	71	75	79	80	81	82	83	84	85	89	93	95	91	86	80	75	72
Fri	71	75	77	79	80	84	83	86	90	97	99	100	98	89	82	77	72
Sat	71	72	73	74	76	80	87	91	89	91	90	89	84	82	80	77	72
Sun	71	72	72	73	74	77	84	90	93	93	91	88	86	83	79	77	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	71	74	80	81	78	80	81	84	85	89	89	89	89	82	76	74	71
Tue	71	75	82	82	80	82	83	84	85	90	92	94	93	86	78	74	72
Wed	71	75	81	82	80	82	83	83	84	89	93	95	92	86	80	74	71
Thu	71	75	79	80	81	82	83	84	85	89	93	95	91	86	80	75	72
Fri	71	75	77	79	80	84	83	86	90	97	99	100	98	89	82	77	72
Sat	71	72	73	74	76	80	87	91	89	91	90	89	84	82	80	77	72
Sun	71	72	72	73	74	77	84	90	93	93	91	88	86	83	79	77	71