Best Time to Drive from Fallbrook to San Diego

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 51 minutes via I-15 South and SR-163 South, usually 53 at this time.

Only 58% 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 Fallbrook to San Diego 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	54	62	68	56	54	56	53	55	55	58	59	58	53	52	51	51
Tue	51	55	71	82	64	55	53	53	53	55	62	67	64	55	52	51	51
Wed	51	54	64	71	59	55	53	53	53	54	62	67	65	56	53	51	51
Thu	51	54	70	75	61	53	53	53	54	55	64	68	66	57	55	51	51
Fri	51	54	58	57	53	54	53	54	55	58	67	66	60	55	52	51	51
Sat	51	52	52	52	52	53	54	55	56	54	55	53	52	52	52	52	52
Sun	51	52	52	53	52	52	53	53	52	52	52	52	52	51	52	52	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 56-mile drive from Fallbrook to San Diego (via I-15 South and SR-163 South) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 82 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (56 minutes).

About 50 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fallbrook to downtown San Diego 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 Fallbrook to San Diego?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 82 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Fallbrook to San Diego?

The 56-mile drive usually takes 50 to 82 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fallbrook to San Diego?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 82 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-15 South in San Diego (39 miles) · SR-163 South in San Diego (11 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Diego to Fallbrook (return trip)

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	54	62	68	56	54	56	53	55	55	58	59	58	53	52	51	51
Tue	51	55	71	82	64	55	53	53	53	55	62	67	64	55	52	51	51
Wed	51	54	64	71	59	55	53	53	53	54	62	67	65	56	53	51	51
Thu	51	54	70	75	61	53	53	53	54	55	64	68	66	57	55	51	51
Fri	51	54	58	57	53	54	53	54	55	58	67	66	60	55	52	51	51
Sat	51	52	52	52	52	53	54	55	56	54	55	53	52	52	52	52	52
Sun	51	52	52	53	52	52	53	53	52	52	52	52	52	51	52	52	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	54	62	68	56	54	56	53	55	55	58	59	58	53	52	51	51
Tue	51	55	71	82	64	55	53	53	53	55	62	67	64	55	52	51	51
Wed	51	54	64	71	59	55	53	53	53	54	62	67	65	56	53	51	51
Thu	51	54	70	75	61	53	53	53	54	55	64	68	66	57	55	51	51
Fri	51	54	58	57	53	54	53	54	55	58	67	66	60	55	52	51	51
Sat	51	52	52	52	52	53	54	55	56	54	55	53	52	52	52	52	52
Sun	51	52	52	53	52	52	53	53	52	52	52	52	52	51	52	52	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	54	62	68	56	54	56	53	55	55	58	59	58	53	52	51	51
Tue	51	55	71	82	64	55	53	53	53	55	62	67	64	55	52	51	51
Wed	51	54	64	71	59	55	53	53	53	54	62	67	65	56	53	51	51
Thu	51	54	70	75	61	53	53	53	54	55	64	68	66	57	55	51	51
Fri	51	54	58	57	53	54	53	54	55	58	67	66	60	55	52	51	51
Sat	51	52	52	52	52	53	54	55	56	54	55	53	52	52	52	52	52
Sun	51	52	52	53	52	52	53	53	52	52	52	52	52	51	52	52	51