Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Carlsbad
Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 66 minutes via I-5 South, usually 35 at this time.
Only 36% 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 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Tue | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Wed | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Thu | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
| Fri | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 31 | 36 | 39 | 42 | 44 | 39 | 32 | 26 | 24 | 23 |
| Sat | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 38 | 37 | 38 | 34 | 36 | 34 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 23 |
| Sun | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 26-mile drive from San Clemente to Carlsbad (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 23 minutes and up to 44 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 11 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 26 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (40 minutes).
About 24 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.5 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Clemente 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 San Clemente to Carlsbad?
On weekdays, leave before 11 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 23 minutes then, versus up to 44 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from San Clemente to Carlsbad?
The 26-mile drive usually takes 23 to 44 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 26 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Carlsbad?
Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 44 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 South in San Diego (15 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (9 miles)
Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow
More drives
Carlsbad 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 Anaheim · San Clemente to Riverside · San Clemente to Santa Ana · San Clemente to Chula Vista · San Clemente to Irvine · San Clemente to San Bernardino · San Clemente to Santa Barbara