Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Escondido

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 85 minutes via I-5 South and SR-78 East, usually 52 at this time.

Only 22% 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 Escondido 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	40	43	48	46	42	42	42	42	42	42	43	43	42	41	41	41	40
Tue	40	43	50	51	43	43	42	42	42	42	44	46	43	42	42	41	40
Wed	40	43	49	48	43	43	43	42	42	43	45	50	45	42	43	42	40
Thu	40	43	50	48	41	43	45	44	42	46	52	50	47	42	43	42	40
Fri	40	43	45	44	42	46	51	56	64	67	71	70	65	60	51	43	41
Sat	41	40	40	40	50	57	64	62	61	55	51	66	52	44	42	41	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	42	46	50	46	45	45	46	45	42	42	42	41

About this drive

On weekdays the 43-mile drive from San Clemente to Escondido (via I-5 South and SR-78 East) usually takes as little as 40 minutes and up to 74 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (69 minutes).

About 36 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (5 to 14 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 Escondido 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 Escondido?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 40 minutes then, versus up to 74 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 43-mile drive usually takes 40 to 74 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Escondido?

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

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (17 miles) · SR-78 East in San Diego (10 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

Escondido 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	40	43	48	46	42	42	42	42	42	42	43	43	42	41	41	41	40
Tue	40	43	50	51	43	43	42	42	42	42	44	46	43	42	42	41	40
Wed	40	43	49	48	43	43	43	42	42	43	45	50	45	42	43	42	40
Thu	40	43	50	48	41	43	45	44	42	46	52	50	47	42	43	42	40
Fri	40	43	45	44	42	46	51	56	64	67	71	70	65	60	51	43	41
Sat	41	40	40	40	50	57	64	62	61	55	51	66	52	44	42	41	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	42	46	50	46	45	45	46	45	42	42	42	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	43	48	46	42	42	42	42	42	42	43	43	42	41	41	41	40
Tue	40	43	50	51	43	43	42	42	42	42	44	46	43	42	42	41	40
Wed	40	43	49	48	43	43	43	42	42	43	45	50	45	42	43	42	40
Thu	40	43	50	48	41	43	45	44	42	46	52	50	47	42	43	42	40
Fri	40	43	45	44	42	46	51	56	64	67	71	70	65	60	51	43	41
Sat	41	40	40	40	50	57	64	62	61	55	51	66	52	44	42	41	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	42	46	50	46	45	45	46	45	42	42	42	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	40	43	48	46	42	42	42	42	42	42	43	43	42	41	41	41	40
Tue	40	43	50	51	43	43	42	42	42	42	44	46	43	42	42	41	40
Wed	40	43	49	48	43	43	43	42	42	43	45	50	45	42	43	42	40
Thu	40	43	50	48	41	43	45	44	42	46	52	50	47	42	43	42	40
Fri	40	43	45	44	42	46	51	56	64	67	71	70	65	60	51	43	41
Sat	41	40	40	40	50	57	64	62	61	55	51	66	52	44	42	41	40
Sun	40	40	40	40	41	42	46	50	46	45	45	46	45	42	42	42	41