Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Carson

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 60 minutes via I-405 North and SR-73 North, usually 56 at this time.

Only 42% 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 Carson 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	50	50	50	51	52	51	51	53	55	55	59	65	64	54	53	55	54
Tue	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	54	54	57	60	68	70	61	53	53	51
Wed	50	51	51	52	53	54	54	54	55	58	62	71	71	62	57	59	52
Thu	50	50	51	52	52	53	54	54	55	58	61	69	66	58	54	53	51
Fri	50	51	51	52	52	53	54	55	58	65	69	72	75	63	60	56	52
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	52	54	56	57	59	58	56	56	56	55	54	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	51	53	55	56	57	58	58	56	56	57	57	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 57-mile drive from San Clemente to Carson (via I-405 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 49 minutes and up to 75 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 12:30 pm or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (59 minutes).

About 56 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.8 miles surface streets (1 to 2 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 Carson 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 Carson?

On weekdays, leave before 12:30 pm or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 75 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 57-mile drive usually takes 49 to 75 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Carson?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 75 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-73 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (11 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (1.7 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carson 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	50	50	51	52	51	51	53	55	55	59	65	64	54	53	55	54
Tue	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	54	54	57	60	68	70	61	53	53	51
Wed	50	51	51	52	53	54	54	54	55	58	62	71	71	62	57	59	52
Thu	50	50	51	52	52	53	54	54	55	58	61	69	66	58	54	53	51
Fri	50	51	51	52	52	53	54	55	58	65	69	72	75	63	60	56	52
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	52	54	56	57	59	58	56	56	56	55	54	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	51	53	55	56	57	58	58	56	56	57	57	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	50	50	51	52	51	51	53	55	55	59	65	64	54	53	55	54
Tue	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	54	54	57	60	68	70	61	53	53	51
Wed	50	51	51	52	53	54	54	54	55	58	62	71	71	62	57	59	52
Thu	50	50	51	52	52	53	54	54	55	58	61	69	66	58	54	53	51
Fri	50	51	51	52	52	53	54	55	58	65	69	72	75	63	60	56	52
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	52	54	56	57	59	58	56	56	56	55	54	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	51	53	55	56	57	58	58	56	56	57	57	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	50	50	51	52	51	51	53	55	55	59	65	64	54	53	55	54
Tue	50	50	51	52	53	53	54	54	54	57	60	68	70	61	53	53	51
Wed	50	51	51	52	53	54	54	54	55	58	62	71	71	62	57	59	52
Thu	50	50	51	52	52	53	54	54	55	58	61	69	66	58	54	53	51
Fri	50	51	51	52	52	53	54	55	58	65	69	72	75	63	60	56	52
Sat	50	50	50	50	51	52	54	56	57	59	58	56	56	56	55	54	50
Sun	50	50	50	50	51	51	53	55	56	57	58	58	56	56	57	57	51