Best Time to Drive from La Jolla to Carlsbad

Right now (7:50 pm PST): about 54 minutes via I-5 North, usually 31 at this time.

Only 32% 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 La Jolla to Carlsbad 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	30	30	31	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	35	41	42	33	31	31	31
Tue	30	30	31	32	33	32	32	32	32	33	39	49	54	41	31	31	31
Wed	30	30	31	32	34	33	33	33	32	33	40	52	55	41	32	31	30
Thu	30	30	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	34	42	53	60	42	32	31	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	48	51	44	35	32	31	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	32	35	36	36	36	35	35	33	31	31	31	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	32	38	38	38	37	36	34	33	32	31	31	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 27-mile drive from La Jolla to Carlsbad (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 60 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 1:30 pm or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (39 minutes).

About 20 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (13 to 23 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central La Jolla (Fay Avenue) to central Carlsbad 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 La Jolla to Carlsbad?

On weekdays, leave before 1:30 pm or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 60 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from La Jolla to Carlsbad?

The 27-mile drive usually takes 30 to 60 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from La Jolla to Carlsbad?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 60 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (20 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carlsbad to La Jolla (return trip) · La Jolla to San Diego · La Jolla to Escondido · La Jolla to Oceanside · La Jolla to Chula Vista · La Jolla to El Cajon · La Jolla to SAN · La Jolla to Garden Grove · La Jolla to Santa Monica · La Jolla to Irvine · La Jolla to Sawtelle · La Jolla to Lake Forest

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	31	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	35	41	42	33	31	31	31
Tue	30	30	31	32	33	32	32	32	32	33	39	49	54	41	31	31	31
Wed	30	30	31	32	34	33	33	33	32	33	40	52	55	41	32	31	30
Thu	30	30	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	34	42	53	60	42	32	31	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	48	51	44	35	32	31	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	32	35	36	36	36	35	35	33	31	31	31	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	32	38	38	38	37	36	34	33	32	31	31	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	31	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	35	41	42	33	31	31	31
Tue	30	30	31	32	33	32	32	32	32	33	39	49	54	41	31	31	31
Wed	30	30	31	32	34	33	33	33	32	33	40	52	55	41	32	31	30
Thu	30	30	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	34	42	53	60	42	32	31	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	48	51	44	35	32	31	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	32	35	36	36	36	35	35	33	31	31	31	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	32	38	38	38	37	36	34	33	32	31	31	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	31	33	33	33	32	32	32	32	35	41	42	33	31	31	31
Tue	30	30	31	32	33	32	32	32	32	33	39	49	54	41	31	31	31
Wed	30	30	31	32	34	33	33	33	32	33	40	52	55	41	32	31	30
Thu	30	30	31	32	33	33	32	32	32	34	42	53	60	42	32	31	30
Fri	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	33	35	39	48	51	44	35	32	31	30
Sat	30	30	30	30	31	32	35	36	36	36	35	35	33	31	31	31	31
Sun	30	30	30	30	31	32	38	38	38	37	36	34	33	32	31	31	30