Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to East Los Angeles

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 63 minutes via I-5 North, usually 62 at this time.

Only 4% 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 East Los Angeles 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	49	52	55	60	56	54	57	58	60	61	64	64	64	60	55	52	50
Tue	50	52	58	61	59	57	58	59	60	61	65	68	68	64	58	52	50
Wed	49	52	56	59	58	57	59	59	60	61	66	69	69	66	58	53	50
Thu	50	52	56	58	58	57	59	60	61	63	68	71	67	63	59	54	50
Fri	49	52	53	56	55	58	59	61	63	66	71	72	72	66	58	55	50
Sat	49	50	51	52	53	56	59	60	61	61	61	62	61	58	57	55	50
Sun	49	50	50	51	52	53	56	57	59	60	61	61	61	61	58	55	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 57-mile drive from San Clemente to East Los Angeles (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 49 minutes and up to 74 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 60 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (63 minutes).

About 56 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.1 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 East Los Angeles 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 East Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 74 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Clemente to East Los Angeles?

The 57-mile drive usually takes 49 to 74 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 60 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to East Los Angeles?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 74 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (50 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (6 miles)

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

More drives

East Los Angeles 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	49	52	55	60	56	54	57	58	60	61	64	64	64	60	55	52	50
Tue	50	52	58	61	59	57	58	59	60	61	65	68	68	64	58	52	50
Wed	49	52	56	59	58	57	59	59	60	61	66	69	69	66	58	53	50
Thu	50	52	56	58	58	57	59	60	61	63	68	71	67	63	59	54	50
Fri	49	52	53	56	55	58	59	61	63	66	71	72	72	66	58	55	50
Sat	49	50	51	52	53	56	59	60	61	61	61	62	61	58	57	55	50
Sun	49	50	50	51	52	53	56	57	59	60	61	61	61	61	58	55	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	52	55	60	56	54	57	58	60	61	64	64	64	60	55	52	50
Tue	50	52	58	61	59	57	58	59	60	61	65	68	68	64	58	52	50
Wed	49	52	56	59	58	57	59	59	60	61	66	69	69	66	58	53	50
Thu	50	52	56	58	58	57	59	60	61	63	68	71	67	63	59	54	50
Fri	49	52	53	56	55	58	59	61	63	66	71	72	72	66	58	55	50
Sat	49	50	51	52	53	56	59	60	61	61	61	62	61	58	57	55	50
Sun	49	50	50	51	52	53	56	57	59	60	61	61	61	61	58	55	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	52	55	60	56	54	57	58	60	61	64	64	64	60	55	52	50
Tue	50	52	58	61	59	57	58	59	60	61	65	68	68	64	58	52	50
Wed	49	52	56	59	58	57	59	59	60	61	66	69	69	66	58	53	50
Thu	50	52	56	58	58	57	59	60	61	63	68	71	67	63	59	54	50
Fri	49	52	53	56	55	58	59	61	63	66	71	72	72	66	58	55	50
Sat	49	50	51	52	53	56	59	60	61	61	61	62	61	58	57	55	50
Sun	49	50	50	51	52	53	56	57	59	60	61	61	61	61	58	55	50