Best Time to Drive from East Los Angeles to San Clemente

Right now (8:52 pm PDT): about 53 minutes via I-5 South, usually 51 at this time.

Only 48% 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 East Los Angeles to San Clemente 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	50	59	70	73	62	55	58	58	61	57	69	80	80	71	63	53	51
Tue	50	60	78	82	66	58	57	59	58	62	73	81	86	72	66	58	51
Wed	49	59	78	82	68	59	57	58	58	64	68	72	77	67	64	56	51
Thu	50	58	76	79	67	61	62	62	66	60	75	81	83	75	66	55	52
Fri	50	57	69	69	65	60	58	59	62	69	77	77	78	77	65	58	53
Sat	51	52	53	54	58	58	61	61	61	64	65	65	60	58	56	56	53
Sun	50	50	50	51	52	55	56	58	59	60	61	60	59	59	59	58	53

About this drive

On weekdays the 57-mile drive from East Los Angeles to San Clemente (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 49 minutes and up to 86 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 60 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (66 minutes).

About 54 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (3 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central East Los Angeles to central San Clemente 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 East Los Angeles to San Clemente?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 86 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from East Los Angeles to San Clemente?

The 57-mile drive usually takes 49 to 86 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 60 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from East Los Angeles to San Clemente?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 86 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (45 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (10 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Clemente to East Los Angeles (return trip) · East Los Angeles to Long Beach · East Los Angeles to Anaheim · East Los Angeles to Riverside · East Los Angeles to Santa Ana · East Los Angeles to Irvine · East Los Angeles to San Bernardino · East Los Angeles to Fontana · East Los Angeles to Oxnard · East Los Angeles to Moreno Valley · East Los Angeles to Huntington Beach · East Los Angeles to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	59	70	73	62	55	58	58	61	57	69	80	80	71	63	53	51
Tue	50	60	78	82	66	58	57	59	58	62	73	81	86	72	66	58	51
Wed	49	59	78	82	68	59	57	58	58	64	68	72	77	67	64	56	51
Thu	50	58	76	79	67	61	62	62	66	60	75	81	83	75	66	55	52
Fri	50	57	69	69	65	60	58	59	62	69	77	77	78	77	65	58	53
Sat	51	52	53	54	58	58	61	61	61	64	65	65	60	58	56	56	53
Sun	50	50	50	51	52	55	56	58	59	60	61	60	59	59	59	58	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	59	70	73	62	55	58	58	61	57	69	80	80	71	63	53	51
Tue	50	60	78	82	66	58	57	59	58	62	73	81	86	72	66	58	51
Wed	49	59	78	82	68	59	57	58	58	64	68	72	77	67	64	56	51
Thu	50	58	76	79	67	61	62	62	66	60	75	81	83	75	66	55	52
Fri	50	57	69	69	65	60	58	59	62	69	77	77	78	77	65	58	53
Sat	51	52	53	54	58	58	61	61	61	64	65	65	60	58	56	56	53
Sun	50	50	50	51	52	55	56	58	59	60	61	60	59	59	59	58	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	59	70	73	62	55	58	58	61	57	69	80	80	71	63	53	51
Tue	50	60	78	82	66	58	57	59	58	62	73	81	86	72	66	58	51
Wed	49	59	78	82	68	59	57	58	58	64	68	72	77	67	64	56	51
Thu	50	58	76	79	67	61	62	62	66	60	75	81	83	75	66	55	52
Fri	50	57	69	69	65	60	58	59	62	69	77	77	78	77	65	58	53
Sat	51	52	53	54	58	58	61	61	61	64	65	65	60	58	56	56	53
Sun	50	50	50	51	52	55	56	58	59	60	61	60	59	59	59	58	53