Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from El Cajon to SAN
Right now (1:18 pm PDT): about 19 minutes via I-8 West, usually 20 at this time.
Only 36% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 19 | 19 | 21 | 27 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Tue | 19 | 19 | 22 | 34 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Wed | 19 | 19 | 22 | 34 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Thu | 19 | 19 | 23 | 35 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Fri | 19 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 |
| Sat | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
| Sun | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 17-mile drive from El Cajon to SAN (via I-8 West) usually takes as little as 19 minutes and up to 35 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 20 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (21 minutes).
About 13 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (8 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central El Cajon (South Magnolia Avenue) to San Diego International Airport (SAN) (Vera Cruz Avenue) 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?
On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 19 minutes then, versus up to 35 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from El Cajon to SAN?
The 17-mile drive usually takes 19 to 35 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 20 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from El Cajon to SAN?
Leaving around 8 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 35 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-8 West in San Diego (12 miles)
San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow
More drives
SAN 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 La Jolla