Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Mid-City

Right now (6:51 pm PDT): about 84 minutes via I-405 North and SR-73 North, usually 69 at this time.

Only 34% 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 Mid-City 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	64	68	72	70	71	69	69	70	71	74	81	95	97	75	69	69	67
Tue	63	71	72	75	74	73	71	71	72	77	81	92	92	78	69	67	65
Wed	64	71	71	74	73	72	71	71	72	77	81	94	93	81	77	75	66
Thu	64	71	72	74	73	72	71	71	73	77	80	91	88	76	72	68	64
Fri	63	71	71	71	71	72	73	73	78	85	89	95	96	82	78	71	65
Sat	64	64	64	65	67	70	72	76	77	80	77	75	73	73	72	69	64
Sun	63	64	64	64	65	66	69	74	75	76	75	74	72	74	73	71	65

About this drive

On weekdays the 71-mile drive from San Clemente to Mid-City (via I-405 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 63 minutes and up to 100 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Mondays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 73 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (80 minutes).

About 65 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (7 to 16 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 Mid-City 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 Mid-City?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 63 minutes then, versus up to 100 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Clemente to Mid-City?

The 71-mile drive usually takes 63 to 100 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 73 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Mid-City?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Mondays is usually slowest, about 100 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (21 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (11 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Mid-City 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	64	68	72	70	71	69	69	70	71	74	81	95	97	75	69	69	67
Tue	63	71	72	75	74	73	71	71	72	77	81	92	92	78	69	67	65
Wed	64	71	71	74	73	72	71	71	72	77	81	94	93	81	77	75	66
Thu	64	71	72	74	73	72	71	71	73	77	80	91	88	76	72	68	64
Fri	63	71	71	71	71	72	73	73	78	85	89	95	96	82	78	71	65
Sat	64	64	64	65	67	70	72	76	77	80	77	75	73	73	72	69	64
Sun	63	64	64	64	65	66	69	74	75	76	75	74	72	74	73	71	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	64	68	72	70	71	69	69	70	71	74	81	95	97	75	69	69	67
Tue	63	71	72	75	74	73	71	71	72	77	81	92	92	78	69	67	65
Wed	64	71	71	74	73	72	71	71	72	77	81	94	93	81	77	75	66
Thu	64	71	72	74	73	72	71	71	73	77	80	91	88	76	72	68	64
Fri	63	71	71	71	71	72	73	73	78	85	89	95	96	82	78	71	65
Sat	64	64	64	65	67	70	72	76	77	80	77	75	73	73	72	69	64
Sun	63	64	64	64	65	66	69	74	75	76	75	74	72	74	73	71	65

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	64	68	72	70	71	69	69	70	71	74	81	95	97	75	69	69	67
Tue	63	71	72	75	74	73	71	71	72	77	81	92	92	78	69	67	65
Wed	64	71	71	74	73	72	71	71	72	77	81	94	93	81	77	75	66
Thu	64	71	72	74	73	72	71	71	73	77	80	91	88	76	72	68	64
Fri	63	71	71	71	71	72	73	73	78	85	89	95	96	82	78	71	65
Sat	64	64	64	65	67	70	72	76	77	80	77	75	73	73	72	69	64
Sun	63	64	64	64	65	66	69	74	75	76	75	74	72	74	73	71	65