Best Time to Drive from Poway to San Marcos

Right now (12:51 am PDT): about 19 minutes via I-15 North and SR-78 West.

Only 38% 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 San Marcos 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	19	19	23	34	24	21	21	21	21	21	23	32	32	23	20	19	19
Tue	19	19	28	41	26	21	21	21	21	21	25	35	35	28	20	19	19
Wed	19	20	27	37	26	21	21	21	21	21	27	35	34	27	20	19	19
Thu	19	20	26	39	26	21	21	20	21	21	27	35	35	24	20	19	19
Fri	19	20	23	27	22	21	21	21	21	25	32	33	24	22	20	20	19
Sat	19	19	19	20	20	20	20	20	21	21	20	20	20	20	20	20	19
Sun	19	19	19	19	19	19	20	20	20	20	20	20	19	19	20	20	19

About this drive

On weekdays the 18-mile drive from Poway to San Marcos (via I-15 North and SR-78 West) usually takes as little as 19 minutes and up to 41 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 21 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (21 minutes).

About 13 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 16 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Poway to central San Marcos 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 Marcos?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 19 minutes then, versus up to 41 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Poway to San Marcos?

The 18-mile drive usually takes 19 to 41 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 21 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Poway to San Marcos?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 41 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-15 North in San Diego (9 miles) · SR-78 West in San Diego (3 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Marcos 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 · Poway to Carlsbad · Poway to Costa Mesa · Poway to Temecula · Poway to Murrieta · Poway to Vista

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	19	19	23	34	24	21	21	21	21	21	23	32	32	23	20	19	19
Tue	19	19	28	41	26	21	21	21	21	21	25	35	35	28	20	19	19
Wed	19	20	27	37	26	21	21	21	21	21	27	35	34	27	20	19	19
Thu	19	20	26	39	26	21	21	20	21	21	27	35	35	24	20	19	19
Fri	19	20	23	27	22	21	21	21	21	25	32	33	24	22	20	20	19
Sat	19	19	19	20	20	20	20	20	21	21	20	20	20	20	20	20	19
Sun	19	19	19	19	19	19	20	20	20	20	20	20	19	19	20	20	19

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	19	19	23	34	24	21	21	21	21	21	23	32	32	23	20	19	19
Tue	19	19	28	41	26	21	21	21	21	21	25	35	35	28	20	19	19
Wed	19	20	27	37	26	21	21	21	21	21	27	35	34	27	20	19	19
Thu	19	20	26	39	26	21	21	20	21	21	27	35	35	24	20	19	19
Fri	19	20	23	27	22	21	21	21	21	25	32	33	24	22	20	20	19
Sat	19	19	19	20	20	20	20	20	21	21	20	20	20	20	20	20	19
Sun	19	19	19	19	19	19	20	20	20	20	20	20	19	19	20	20	19

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	19	19	23	34	24	21	21	21	21	21	23	32	32	23	20	19	19
Tue	19	19	28	41	26	21	21	21	21	21	25	35	35	28	20	19	19
Wed	19	20	27	37	26	21	21	21	21	21	27	35	34	27	20	19	19
Thu	19	20	26	39	26	21	21	20	21	21	27	35	35	24	20	19	19
Fri	19	20	23	27	22	21	21	21	21	25	32	33	24	22	20	20	19
Sat	19	19	19	20	20	20	20	20	21	21	20	20	20	20	20	20	19
Sun	19	19	19	19	19	19	20	20	20	20	20	20	19	19	20	20	19