Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from La Mesa to Encinitas
Right now (12:51 am PST): about 27 minutes via I-805 North and I-5 North and I-8 West.
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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 27 | 27 | 30 | 39 | 36 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 32 | 39 | 38 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| Tue | 27 | 27 | 30 | 44 | 41 | 32 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 37 | 45 | 44 | 35 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Wed | 27 | 27 | 30 | 44 | 40 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 38 | 48 | 48 | 36 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Thu | 27 | 27 | 31 | 42 | 38 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 41 | 49 | 50 | 37 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Fri | 27 | 27 | 29 | 33 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 35 | 41 | 43 | 33 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Sat | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Sun | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 30-mile drive from La Mesa to Encinitas (via I-805 North and I-5 North and I-8 West) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 50 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 30 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (30 minutes).
About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central La Mesa 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 Mesa to Encinitas?
On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 50 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from La Mesa to Encinitas?
The 30-mile drive usually takes 27 to 50 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 30 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from La Mesa to Encinitas?
Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 50 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-805 North in San Diego (10 miles) · I-5 North in San Diego (10 miles) · I-8 West in San Diego (8 miles)
San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow
More drives
Encinitas to La Mesa (return trip) · La Mesa to San Diego · La Mesa to Santa Monica · La Mesa to Chula Vista · La Mesa to Oceanside · La Mesa to Escondido · La Mesa to Carlsbad · La Mesa to Temecula · La Mesa to Murrieta · La Mesa to Vista · La Mesa to Mission Viejo · La Mesa to San Marcos