Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Poway to San Diego
Right now (7:17 pm PDT): about 24 minutes via SR-163 South and I-15 South, usually 24 at this time.
Only 44% 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 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Tue | 24 | 24 | 25 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 29 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Wed | 24 | 24 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 31 | 36 | 38 | 31 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Thu | 24 | 24 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 31 | 35 | 36 | 28 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Fri | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Sat | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Sun | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 23-mile drive from Poway to San Diego (via SR-163 South and I-15 South) usually takes as little as 24 minutes and up to 38 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 25 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (26 minutes).
About 17 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (9 to 15 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Poway to downtown San Diego 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 San Diego?
On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 24 minutes then, versus up to 38 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Poway to San Diego?
The 23-mile drive usually takes 24 to 38 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 25 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Poway to San Diego?
Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 38 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
SR-163 South in San Diego (11 miles) · I-15 South in San Diego (6 miles)
San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow