Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Encinitas

Right now (11:21 pm PST): about 32 minutes via I-5 South.

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 Encinitas 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	31	31	33	35	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	35	40	36	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	32	32	32	31	31
Wed	31	32	35	41	35	33	33	32	32	33	33	35	33	31	32	32	31
Thu	31	32	34	39	34	34	34	33	33	34	36	36	34	32	33	32	31
Fri	31	32	32	32	32	34	37	40	46	49	50	52	47	41	36	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	35	42	48	47	46	45	42	45	42	36	33	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	33	36	37	36	36	35	35	34	33	33	33	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from San Clemente to Encinitas (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 53 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (48 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (2 to 3 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 Encinitas 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 Encinitas?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 53 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 35-mile drive usually takes 31 to 53 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Encinitas?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 53 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (24 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

Encinitas 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	31	31	33	35	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	35	40	36	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	32	32	32	31	31
Wed	31	32	35	41	35	33	33	32	32	33	33	35	33	31	32	32	31
Thu	31	32	34	39	34	34	34	33	33	34	36	36	34	32	33	32	31
Fri	31	32	32	32	32	34	37	40	46	49	50	52	47	41	36	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	35	42	48	47	46	45	42	45	42	36	33	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	33	36	37	36	36	35	35	34	33	33	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	33	35	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	35	40	36	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	32	32	32	31	31
Wed	31	32	35	41	35	33	33	32	32	33	33	35	33	31	32	32	31
Thu	31	32	34	39	34	34	34	33	33	34	36	36	34	32	33	32	31
Fri	31	32	32	32	32	34	37	40	46	49	50	52	47	41	36	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	35	42	48	47	46	45	42	45	42	36	33	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	33	36	37	36	36	35	35	34	33	33	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	31	33	35	32	33	32	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	31	31
Tue	31	32	35	40	36	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	32	32	32	31	31
Wed	31	32	35	41	35	33	33	32	32	33	33	35	33	31	32	32	31
Thu	31	32	34	39	34	34	34	33	33	34	36	36	34	32	33	32	31
Fri	31	32	32	32	32	34	37	40	46	49	50	52	47	41	36	33	31
Sat	31	31	31	31	35	42	48	47	46	45	42	45	42	36	33	32	31
Sun	31	31	31	31	31	33	36	37	36	36	35	35	34	33	33	33	31