Best Time to Drive from Rancho Penasquitos to San Clemente

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 44 minutes via I-5 North.

Only 71% 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 Rancho Penasquitos to San Clemente 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	44	45	45	55	53	48	47	47	47	47	49	56	57	48	45	45	45
Tue	44	45	46	55	55	49	47	47	47	47	53	61	60	54	46	45	45
Wed	44	45	46	55	53	50	48	48	48	48	55	62	62	55	47	45	45
Thu	44	45	46	55	52	49	48	47	47	48	56	63	65	57	47	46	45
Fri	45	45	46	50	49	48	48	49	51	55	60	63	58	51	47	46	44
Sat	44	44	44	45	46	48	53	53	50	50	50	49	48	46	46	46	45
Sun	45	45	44	45	46	48	55	56	57	55	51	50	49	47	47	47	44

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from Rancho Penasquitos to San Clemente (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 65 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 48 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (57 minutes).

About 50 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.7 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Rancho Penasquitos to central San Clemente 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 Rancho Penasquitos to San Clemente?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 65 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Rancho Penasquitos to San Clemente?

The 51-mile drive usually takes 44 to 65 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 48 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Rancho Penasquitos to San Clemente?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 65 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (38 miles) · SR-56 West in San Diego (9 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (3 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Clemente to Rancho Penasquitos (return trip) · Rancho Penasquitos to San Diego · Rancho Penasquitos to Anaheim · Rancho Penasquitos to Santa Ana · Rancho Penasquitos to Chula Vista · Rancho Penasquitos to Irvine · Rancho Penasquitos to Moreno Valley · Rancho Penasquitos to Oceanside · Rancho Penasquitos to Corona · Rancho Penasquitos to Escondido · Rancho Penasquitos to Carlsbad · Rancho Penasquitos to Costa Mesa

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	45	45	55	53	48	47	47	47	47	49	56	57	48	45	45	45
Tue	44	45	46	55	55	49	47	47	47	47	53	61	60	54	46	45	45
Wed	44	45	46	55	53	50	48	48	48	48	55	62	62	55	47	45	45
Thu	44	45	46	55	52	49	48	47	47	48	56	63	65	57	47	46	45
Fri	45	45	46	50	49	48	48	49	51	55	60	63	58	51	47	46	44
Sat	44	44	44	45	46	48	53	53	50	50	50	49	48	46	46	46	45
Sun	45	45	44	45	46	48	55	56	57	55	51	50	49	47	47	47	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	45	45	55	53	48	47	47	47	47	49	56	57	48	45	45	45
Tue	44	45	46	55	55	49	47	47	47	47	53	61	60	54	46	45	45
Wed	44	45	46	55	53	50	48	48	48	48	55	62	62	55	47	45	45
Thu	44	45	46	55	52	49	48	47	47	48	56	63	65	57	47	46	45
Fri	45	45	46	50	49	48	48	49	51	55	60	63	58	51	47	46	44
Sat	44	44	44	45	46	48	53	53	50	50	50	49	48	46	46	46	45
Sun	45	45	44	45	46	48	55	56	57	55	51	50	49	47	47	47	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	45	45	55	53	48	47	47	47	47	49	56	57	48	45	45	45
Tue	44	45	46	55	55	49	47	47	47	47	53	61	60	54	46	45	45
Wed	44	45	46	55	53	50	48	48	48	48	55	62	62	55	47	45	45
Thu	44	45	46	55	52	49	48	47	47	48	56	63	65	57	47	46	45
Fri	45	45	46	50	49	48	48	49	51	55	60	63	58	51	47	46	44
Sat	44	44	44	45	46	48	53	53	50	50	50	49	48	46	46	46	45
Sun	45	45	44	45	46	48	55	56	57	55	51	50	49	47	47	47	44