Best Time to Drive from El Cajon to San Clemente

Right now (6:34 pm PDT): about 67 minutes via I-5 North and SR-52 West, usually 60 at this time.

Only 60% 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 El Cajon 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	57	58	59	63	62	61	61	60	60	61	65	72	69	59	59	58	58
Tue	57	58	60	62	62	61	60	61	61	62	71	82	80	66	59	58	57
Wed	57	58	60	62	63	62	61	61	61	63	73	84	83	68	60	59	58
Thu	57	58	60	62	62	62	61	61	61	63	74	83	84	68	60	59	57
Fri	57	58	60	61	61	61	61	63	66	71	78	79	69	61	60	59	57
Sat	57	57	57	58	60	62	66	66	66	65	63	62	61	59	59	59	57
Sun	57	57	57	58	59	61	69	68	69	67	63	62	61	60	60	60	57

About this drive

On weekdays the 65-mile drive from El Cajon to San Clemente (via I-5 North and SR-52 West) usually takes as little as 57 minutes and up to 86 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 1:30 pm or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 62 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (70 minutes).

About 65 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.7 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central El Cajon 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 El Cajon to San Clemente?

On weekdays, leave before 1:30 pm or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 57 minutes then, versus up to 86 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from El Cajon to San Clemente?

The 65-mile drive usually takes 57 to 86 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 62 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from El Cajon to San Clemente?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 86 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (40 miles) · SR-52 West in San Diego (13 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (3 miles) · I-805 North in San Diego (1.9 miles)

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

More drives

San Clemente to El Cajon (return trip) · El Cajon to San Diego · El Cajon to Escondido · El Cajon to Oceanside · El Cajon to Chula Vista · El Cajon to Carlsbad · El Cajon to SAN · El Cajon to La Jolla · El Cajon to Temecula · El Cajon to Murrieta · El Cajon to Vista · El Cajon to Mission Viejo

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	58	59	63	62	61	61	60	60	61	65	72	69	59	59	58	58
Tue	57	58	60	62	62	61	60	61	61	62	71	82	80	66	59	58	57
Wed	57	58	60	62	63	62	61	61	61	63	73	84	83	68	60	59	58
Thu	57	58	60	62	62	62	61	61	61	63	74	83	84	68	60	59	57
Fri	57	58	60	61	61	61	61	63	66	71	78	79	69	61	60	59	57
Sat	57	57	57	58	60	62	66	66	66	65	63	62	61	59	59	59	57
Sun	57	57	57	58	59	61	69	68	69	67	63	62	61	60	60	60	57

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	58	59	63	62	61	61	60	60	61	65	72	69	59	59	58	58
Tue	57	58	60	62	62	61	60	61	61	62	71	82	80	66	59	58	57
Wed	57	58	60	62	63	62	61	61	61	63	73	84	83	68	60	59	58
Thu	57	58	60	62	62	62	61	61	61	63	74	83	84	68	60	59	57
Fri	57	58	60	61	61	61	61	63	66	71	78	79	69	61	60	59	57
Sat	57	57	57	58	60	62	66	66	66	65	63	62	61	59	59	59	57
Sun	57	57	57	58	59	61	69	68	69	67	63	62	61	60	60	60	57

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	58	59	63	62	61	61	60	60	61	65	72	69	59	59	58	58
Tue	57	58	60	62	62	61	60	61	61	62	71	82	80	66	59	58	57
Wed	57	58	60	62	63	62	61	61	61	63	73	84	83	68	60	59	58
Thu	57	58	60	62	62	62	61	61	61	63	74	83	84	68	60	59	57
Fri	57	58	60	61	61	61	61	63	66	71	78	79	69	61	60	59	57
Sat	57	57	57	58	60	62	66	66	66	65	63	62	61	59	59	59	57
Sun	57	57	57	58	59	61	69	68	69	67	63	62	61	60	60	60	57