Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Rancho Penasquitos

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 45 minutes via I-5 South.

Only 60% 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 Rancho Penasquitos 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	44	46	48	53	48	47	47	47	47	47	48	51	50	46	45	45	45
Tue	44	46	51	58	53	48	48	48	47	48	52	54	53	48	46	45	45
Wed	44	46	50	59	51	47	47	47	47	48	52	54	53	48	46	46	45
Thu	44	46	50	58	50	48	49	48	47	49	54	56	54	48	47	46	45
Fri	45	46	47	47	47	48	51	55	59	64	67	68	63	56	49	46	45
Sat	45	45	45	45	49	57	60	61	59	58	55	55	56	50	47	46	45
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	47	49	52	50	50	49	50	49	47	47	47	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from San Clemente to Rancho Penasquitos (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 69 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 49 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 50 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.7 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Clemente to central Rancho Penasquitos 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 Rancho Penasquitos?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 69 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Clemente to Rancho Penasquitos?

The 51-mile drive usually takes 44 to 69 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 49 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Rancho Penasquitos?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 69 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (34 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (9 miles) · SR-56 East in San Diego (8 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

Rancho Penasquitos 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	44	46	48	53	48	47	47	47	47	47	48	51	50	46	45	45	45
Tue	44	46	51	58	53	48	48	48	47	48	52	54	53	48	46	45	45
Wed	44	46	50	59	51	47	47	47	47	48	52	54	53	48	46	46	45
Thu	44	46	50	58	50	48	49	48	47	49	54	56	54	48	47	46	45
Fri	45	46	47	47	47	48	51	55	59	64	67	68	63	56	49	46	45
Sat	45	45	45	45	49	57	60	61	59	58	55	55	56	50	47	46	45
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	47	49	52	50	50	49	50	49	47	47	47	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	46	48	53	48	47	47	47	47	47	48	51	50	46	45	45	45
Tue	44	46	51	58	53	48	48	48	47	48	52	54	53	48	46	45	45
Wed	44	46	50	59	51	47	47	47	47	48	52	54	53	48	46	46	45
Thu	44	46	50	58	50	48	49	48	47	49	54	56	54	48	47	46	45
Fri	45	46	47	47	47	48	51	55	59	64	67	68	63	56	49	46	45
Sat	45	45	45	45	49	57	60	61	59	58	55	55	56	50	47	46	45
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	47	49	52	50	50	49	50	49	47	47	47	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	44	46	48	53	48	47	47	47	47	47	48	51	50	46	45	45	45
Tue	44	46	51	58	53	48	48	48	47	48	52	54	53	48	46	45	45
Wed	44	46	50	59	51	47	47	47	47	48	52	54	53	48	46	46	45
Thu	44	46	50	58	50	48	49	48	47	49	54	56	54	48	47	46	45
Fri	45	46	47	47	47	48	51	55	59	64	67	68	63	56	49	46	45
Sat	45	45	45	45	49	57	60	61	59	58	55	55	56	50	47	46	45
Sun	45	45	45	45	45	47	49	52	50	50	49	50	49	47	47	47	45