Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to San Diego

Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 162 minutes via I-5 South, usually 190 at this time.

Only 50% 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 120-mile drive from Los Angeles to San Diego (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 108 minutes and up to 192 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 138 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (160 minutes).

About 113 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (10 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Downtown LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) 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 Los Angeles to San Diego?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 108 minutes then, versus up to 192 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Los Angeles to San Diego?

The 120-mile drive usually takes 108 to 192 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 138 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to San Diego?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 192 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (54 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (47 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (2 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Diego to Los Angeles (return trip) · Los Angeles to Santa Monica · Los Angeles to Long Beach · Los Angeles to West Covina · Los Angeles to Burbank · Los Angeles to Glendale · Los Angeles to Santa Clarita · Los Angeles to Van Nuys · Los Angeles to Torrance · Los Angeles to Hollywood · Los Angeles to Culver City · Los Angeles to El Monte

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