Best Time to Drive from Pomona to Carlsbad

Right now (6:18 pm PDT): about 80 minutes via I-5 South, usually 77 at this time.

Only 25% 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

Minutes from Pomona to Carlsbad by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	75	80	80	82	83	81	81	81	81	80	79	81	79	78	77	76	75
Tue	75	81	81	83	83	82	81	80	80	80	80	80	80	78	78	76	75
Wed	75	82	80	83	83	83	81	80	80	81	82	81	79	78	77	76	74
Thu	75	81	80	80	82	83	81	81	82	82	85	82	81	79	77	76	75
Fri	75	81	80	80	82	86	92	98	106	111	110	108	93	82	78	77	74
Sat	74	76	77	81	95	111	106	107	105	102	103	97	88	80	77	76	75
Sun	74	74	75	76	79	90	92	91	90	88	86	82	78	77	77	77	74

About this drive

On weekdays the 83-mile drive from Pomona to Carlsbad (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 74 minutes and up to 111 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 8:30 am or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 85 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 10 am on Saturdays (111 minutes).

About 79 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (4 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Pomona 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 Pomona to Carlsbad?

On weekdays, leave before 8:30 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 74 minutes then, versus up to 111 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Pomona to Carlsbad?

The 83-mile drive usually takes 74 to 111 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 85 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Pomona to Carlsbad?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 111 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (29 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (15 miles) · SR-241 South in Orange County (11 miles) · SR-71 North in Los Angeles (7 miles) · SR-71 North in Orange County (6 miles) · SR-133 South in Orange County (4 miles)

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

More drives

Carlsbad to Pomona (return trip) · Pomona to Los Angeles · Pomona to Santa Monica · Pomona to Pasadena · Pomona to Long Beach · Pomona to West Covina · Pomona to Burbank · Pomona to Glendale · Pomona to Santa Clarita · Pomona to Van Nuys · Pomona to Torrance · Pomona to LAX

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	75	80	80	82	83	81	81	81	81	80	79	81	79	78	77	76	75
Tue	75	81	81	83	83	82	81	80	80	80	80	80	80	78	78	76	75
Wed	75	82	80	83	83	83	81	80	80	81	82	81	79	78	77	76	74
Thu	75	81	80	80	82	83	81	81	82	82	85	82	81	79	77	76	75
Fri	75	81	80	80	82	86	92	98	106	111	110	108	93	82	78	77	74
Sat	74	76	77	81	95	111	106	107	105	102	103	97	88	80	77	76	75
Sun	74	74	75	76	79	90	92	91	90	88	86	82	78	77	77	77	74

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	75	80	80	82	83	81	81	81	81	80	79	81	79	78	77	76	75
Tue	75	81	81	83	83	82	81	80	80	80	80	80	80	78	78	76	75
Wed	75	82	80	83	83	83	81	80	80	81	82	81	79	78	77	76	74
Thu	75	81	80	80	82	83	81	81	82	82	85	82	81	79	77	76	75
Fri	75	81	80	80	82	86	92	98	106	111	110	108	93	82	78	77	74
Sat	74	76	77	81	95	111	106	107	105	102	103	97	88	80	77	76	75
Sun	74	74	75	76	79	90	92	91	90	88	86	82	78	77	77	77	74

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	75	80	80	82	83	81	81	81	81	80	79	81	79	78	77	76	75
Tue	75	81	81	83	83	82	81	80	80	80	80	80	80	78	78	76	75
Wed	75	82	80	83	83	83	81	80	80	81	82	81	79	78	77	76	74
Thu	75	81	80	80	82	83	81	81	82	82	85	82	81	79	77	76	75
Fri	75	81	80	80	82	86	92	98	106	111	110	108	93	82	78	77	74
Sat	74	76	77	81	95	111	106	107	105	102	103	97	88	80	77	76	75
Sun	74	74	75	76	79	90	92	91	90	88	86	82	78	77	77	77	74