Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Anaheim

Right now (7:18 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via I-5 North, usually 38 at this time.

None 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 San Clemente to Anaheim 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	33	34	35	40	37	36	38	39	41	41	44	44	45	42	39	36	33
Tue	33	34	35	39	39	38	39	40	41	41	44	46	47	44	40	36	34
Wed	33	34	35	39	39	39	41	40	41	40	44	46	47	45	40	37	34
Thu	33	34	35	39	39	39	41	41	41	41	43	45	46	44	40	37	34
Fri	33	34	35	37	36	39	40	40	42	43	47	47	47	43	39	37	34
Sat	33	34	34	34	35	38	41	43	43	43	43	42	43	40	39	38	34
Sun	33	34	34	34	35	35	39	39	41	42	44	44	44	42	41	37	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 38-mile drive from San Clemente to Anaheim (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 48 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 41 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Sundays (45 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.4 miles surface streets (about 2 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Clemente to Disneyland 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 San Clemente to Anaheim?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 48 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Clemente to Anaheim?

The 38-mile drive usually takes 33 to 48 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 41 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Anaheim?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 48 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (36 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Anaheim to San Clemente (return trip) · San Clemente to Los Angeles · San Clemente to San Diego · San Clemente to Santa Monica · San Clemente to Long Beach · San Clemente to Riverside

Open the live traffic map →

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

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

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