Best Time to Drive from La Mirada to Carlsbad

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 74 minutes via I-5 South, usually 67 at this time.

Only 59% 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 71-mile drive from La Mirada to Carlsbad (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 62 minutes and up to 91 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 71 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (92 minutes).

About 65 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 10 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central La Mirada 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 Mirada to Carlsbad?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 62 minutes then, versus up to 91 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 71-mile drive usually takes 62 to 91 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 71 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from La Mirada to Carlsbad?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 91 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (49 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (16 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carlsbad to La Mirada (return trip) · La Mirada to Los Angeles · La Mirada to Long Beach · La Mirada to Anaheim · La Mirada to Riverside · La Mirada to Santa Ana · La Mirada to Highland · La Mirada to Irvine · La Mirada to San Bernardino · La Mirada to Fontana · La Mirada to Oxnard · La Mirada to Moreno Valley

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