Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to El Cajon

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 93 minutes via I-5 South and SR-52 East, usually 70 at this time.

Only 54% 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 El Cajon 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	57	59	62	67	61	61	61	61	61	63	67	67	64	59	59	59	58
Tue	57	60	64	72	67	62	62	61	62	65	67	68	67	61	60	59	57
Wed	57	59	64	72	65	61	61	61	61	65	70	69	69	61	59	59	58
Thu	57	59	64	71	63	62	62	62	62	66	72	70	70	61	60	59	57
Fri	57	59	61	61	60	63	66	69	75	80	86	86	78	70	63	60	58
Sat	58	58	58	58	63	70	76	75	74	74	69	72	70	63	61	59	58
Sun	58	58	57	58	58	60	64	66	65	64	64	63	62	61	61	60	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 65-mile drive from San Clemente to El Cajon (via I-5 South and SR-52 East) usually takes as little as 57 minutes and up to 86 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 64 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (76 minutes).

About 64 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.1 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Clemente to central El Cajon 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 El Cajon?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 57 minutes then, versus up to 86 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Clemente to El Cajon?

The 65-mile drive usually takes 57 to 86 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 64 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to El Cajon?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 86 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (37 miles) · SR-52 East in San Diego (13 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (8 miles) · I-805 South in San Diego (4 miles)

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

More drives

El Cajon 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	57	59	62	67	61	61	61	61	61	63	67	67	64	59	59	59	58
Tue	57	60	64	72	67	62	62	61	62	65	67	68	67	61	60	59	57
Wed	57	59	64	72	65	61	61	61	61	65	70	69	69	61	59	59	58
Thu	57	59	64	71	63	62	62	62	62	66	72	70	70	61	60	59	57
Fri	57	59	61	61	60	63	66	69	75	80	86	86	78	70	63	60	58
Sat	58	58	58	58	63	70	76	75	74	74	69	72	70	63	61	59	58
Sun	58	58	57	58	58	60	64	66	65	64	64	63	62	61	61	60	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	59	62	67	61	61	61	61	61	63	67	67	64	59	59	59	58
Tue	57	60	64	72	67	62	62	61	62	65	67	68	67	61	60	59	57
Wed	57	59	64	72	65	61	61	61	61	65	70	69	69	61	59	59	58
Thu	57	59	64	71	63	62	62	62	62	66	72	70	70	61	60	59	57
Fri	57	59	61	61	60	63	66	69	75	80	86	86	78	70	63	60	58
Sat	58	58	58	58	63	70	76	75	74	74	69	72	70	63	61	59	58
Sun	58	58	57	58	58	60	64	66	65	64	64	63	62	61	61	60	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	59	62	67	61	61	61	61	61	63	67	67	64	59	59	59	58
Tue	57	60	64	72	67	62	62	61	62	65	67	68	67	61	60	59	57
Wed	57	59	64	72	65	61	61	61	61	65	70	69	69	61	59	59	58
Thu	57	59	64	71	63	62	62	62	62	66	72	70	70	61	60	59	57
Fri	57	59	61	61	60	63	66	69	75	80	86	86	78	70	63	60	58
Sat	58	58	58	58	63	70	76	75	74	74	69	72	70	63	61	59	58
Sun	58	58	57	58	58	60	64	66	65	64	64	63	62	61	61	60	58