Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from La Jolla to Encinitas
Right now (12:51 am PST): about 20 minutes via I-5 North.
Only 40% 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 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 30 | 30 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Tue | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 28 | 37 | 38 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Wed | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 29 | 41 | 44 | 32 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| Thu | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 31 | 43 | 47 | 33 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| Fri | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 33 | 37 | 28 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Sat | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Sun | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 19-mile drive from La Jolla to Encinitas (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 20 minutes and up to 47 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 22 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (22 minutes).
About 13 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (8 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central La Jolla to central Encinitas 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 Encinitas?
On weekdays, leave before 8:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 20 minutes then, versus up to 47 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from La Jolla to Encinitas?
The 19-mile drive usually takes 20 to 47 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 22 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from La Jolla to Encinitas?
Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 47 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 North in San Diego (13 miles)
San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow
More drives
Encinitas 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 Carlsbad · La Jolla to SAN · La Jolla to Garden Grove · La Jolla to Santa Monica · La Jolla to Irvine · La Jolla to Sawtelle