Best Time to Drive from La Jolla to San Diego

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 17 minutes via I-5 South, usually 17 at this time.

Only 45% 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 14-mile drive from La Jolla to San Diego (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 16 minutes and up to 38 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 17 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (18 minutes).

About 8 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (9 to 18 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 downtown San Diego (East Broadway) 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 San Diego?

On weekdays, leave before 8:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 16 minutes then, versus up to 38 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from La Jolla to San Diego?

The 14-mile drive usually takes 16 to 38 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 17 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from La Jolla to San Diego?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 38 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (8 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Diego to La Jolla (return trip) · 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

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