Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Laguna Niguel

Right now (12:50 am PST): about 16 minutes via I-5 North.

Only 35% 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 12-mile drive from San Clemente to Laguna Niguel (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 16 minutes and up to 21 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 11 am or after 3:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 17 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (23 minutes).

About 4 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (12 to 17 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 Laguna Niguel 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 Laguna Niguel?

On weekdays, leave before 11 am or after 3:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 16 minutes then, versus up to 21 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Clemente to Laguna Niguel?

The 12-mile drive usually takes 16 to 21 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 17 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Laguna Niguel?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 21 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (4 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Laguna Niguel 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

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