Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Garden Grove

Right now (8:36 am PST): about 33 minutes via I-5 North, usually 33 at this time.

None 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 Garden Grove 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	32	33	34	39	36	35	37	38	40	40	41	42	43	40	37	34	32
Tue	32	33	35	39	38	37	38	39	40	40	41	43	45	42	39	34	33
Wed	32	33	34	39	38	37	39	39	40	39	41	43	45	42	39	35	32
Thu	32	33	34	38	38	37	39	40	40	40	41	43	43	42	39	35	33
Fri	32	33	34	37	36	38	39	39	40	42	44	44	44	41	39	36	33
Sat	32	32	33	33	34	37	39	41	41	41	40	40	40	39	38	36	32
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	36	37	40	40	41	41	41	40	38	35	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from San Clemente to Garden Grove (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 45 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (42 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1 mile 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 Garden Grove 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 Garden Grove?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 45 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Clemente to Garden Grove?

The 36-mile drive usually takes 32 to 45 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Garden Grove?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 45 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (32 miles) · SR-22 West in Orange County (4 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Garden Grove 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	32	33	34	39	36	35	37	38	40	40	41	42	43	40	37	34	32
Tue	32	33	35	39	38	37	38	39	40	40	41	43	45	42	39	34	33
Wed	32	33	34	39	38	37	39	39	40	39	41	43	45	42	39	35	32
Thu	32	33	34	38	38	37	39	40	40	40	41	43	43	42	39	35	33
Fri	32	33	34	37	36	38	39	39	40	42	44	44	44	41	39	36	33
Sat	32	32	33	33	34	37	39	41	41	41	40	40	40	39	38	36	32
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	36	37	40	40	41	41	41	40	38	35	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	39	36	35	37	38	40	40	41	42	43	40	37	34	32
Tue	32	33	35	39	38	37	38	39	40	40	41	43	45	42	39	34	33
Wed	32	33	34	39	38	37	39	39	40	39	41	43	45	42	39	35	32
Thu	32	33	34	38	38	37	39	40	40	40	41	43	43	42	39	35	33
Fri	32	33	34	37	36	38	39	39	40	42	44	44	44	41	39	36	33
Sat	32	32	33	33	34	37	39	41	41	41	40	40	40	39	38	36	32
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	36	37	40	40	41	41	41	40	38	35	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	39	36	35	37	38	40	40	41	42	43	40	37	34	32
Tue	32	33	35	39	38	37	38	39	40	40	41	43	45	42	39	34	33
Wed	32	33	34	39	38	37	39	39	40	39	41	43	45	42	39	35	32
Thu	32	33	34	38	38	37	39	40	40	40	41	43	43	42	39	35	33
Fri	32	33	34	37	36	38	39	39	40	42	44	44	44	41	39	36	33
Sat	32	32	33	33	34	37	39	41	41	41	40	40	40	39	38	36	32
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	34	36	37	40	40	41	41	41	40	38	35	32