Best Time to Drive from Poway to Carlsbad

Right now (7:04 pm PDT): about 33 minutes via I-5 North and SR-56 West, usually 33 at this time.

Only 61% 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 Poway 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	31	32	33	46	41	34	34	34	33	34	38	44	43	33	32	32	32
Tue	31	32	33	48	43	35	34	34	34	34	42	49	49	39	33	32	32
Wed	31	32	33	47	42	36	35	34	34	36	44	52	50	40	33	32	32
Thu	31	32	33	46	40	36	35	34	34	36	45	51	52	41	33	32	32
Fri	31	32	33	38	36	34	34	35	37	41	47	49	41	34	33	32	32
Sat	32	32	32	32	33	34	35	36	36	35	34	34	33	33	32	32	32
Sun	32	32	32	32	32	33	37	37	36	35	35	34	33	33	33	33	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Poway to Carlsbad (via I-5 North and SR-56 West) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 52 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (38 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (9 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Poway 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 Poway to Carlsbad?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 52 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 32-mile drive usually takes 31 to 52 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Poway to Carlsbad?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 52 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (16 miles) · SR-56 West in San Diego (10 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carlsbad to Poway (return trip) · Poway to San Diego · Poway to Chula Vista · Poway to Irvine · Poway to Moreno Valley · Poway to Oceanside · Poway to Escondido

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	33	46	41	34	34	34	33	34	38	44	43	33	32	32	32
Tue	31	32	33	48	43	35	34	34	34	34	42	49	49	39	33	32	32
Wed	31	32	33	47	42	36	35	34	34	36	44	52	50	40	33	32	32
Thu	31	32	33	46	40	36	35	34	34	36	45	51	52	41	33	32	32
Fri	31	32	33	38	36	34	34	35	37	41	47	49	41	34	33	32	32
Sat	32	32	32	32	33	34	35	36	36	35	34	34	33	33	32	32	32
Sun	32	32	32	32	32	33	37	37	36	35	35	34	33	33	33	33	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	33	46	41	34	34	34	33	34	38	44	43	33	32	32	32
Tue	31	32	33	48	43	35	34	34	34	34	42	49	49	39	33	32	32
Wed	31	32	33	47	42	36	35	34	34	36	44	52	50	40	33	32	32
Thu	31	32	33	46	40	36	35	34	34	36	45	51	52	41	33	32	32
Fri	31	32	33	38	36	34	34	35	37	41	47	49	41	34	33	32	32
Sat	32	32	32	32	33	34	35	36	36	35	34	34	33	33	32	32	32
Sun	32	32	32	32	32	33	37	37	36	35	35	34	33	33	33	33	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	32	33	46	41	34	34	34	33	34	38	44	43	33	32	32	32
Tue	31	32	33	48	43	35	34	34	34	34	42	49	49	39	33	32	32
Wed	31	32	33	47	42	36	35	34	34	36	44	52	50	40	33	32	32
Thu	31	32	33	46	40	36	35	34	34	36	45	51	52	41	33	32	32
Fri	31	32	33	38	36	34	34	35	37	41	47	49	41	34	33	32	32
Sat	32	32	32	32	33	34	35	36	36	35	34	34	33	33	32	32	32
Sun	32	32	32	32	32	33	37	37	36	35	35	34	33	33	33	33	32