Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to San Marcos

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 45 minutes via I-5 South and SR-78 East, usually 35 at this time.

Only 40% 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 San Marcos 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	33	34	35	35	35	34	34	39	37	35	33	33	33	32
Tue	33	34	34	36	34	36	35	35	34	34	35	38	35	34	34	35	33
Wed	33	34	35	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	38	42	39	34	36	35	33
Thu	33	34	35	34	33	35	38	36	35	39	43	42	39	34	36	35	33
Fri	33	34	34	33	34	42	48	54	58	60	63	64	57	52	45	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	44	54	63	60	59	53	48	64	46	38	35	34	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	40	43	42	40	39	40	39	35	35	35	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from San Clemente to San Marcos (via I-5 South and SR-78 East) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (70 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.6 miles surface streets (2 to 5 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 San Marcos 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 San Marcos?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 37-mile drive usually takes 32 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to San Marcos?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (18 miles) · SR-78 East in San Diego (10 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (8 miles)

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

More drives

San Marcos 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	33	34	35	35	35	34	34	39	37	35	33	33	33	32
Tue	33	34	34	36	34	36	35	35	34	34	35	38	35	34	34	35	33
Wed	33	34	35	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	38	42	39	34	36	35	33
Thu	33	34	35	34	33	35	38	36	35	39	43	42	39	34	36	35	33
Fri	33	34	34	33	34	42	48	54	58	60	63	64	57	52	45	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	44	54	63	60	59	53	48	64	46	38	35	34	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	40	43	42	40	39	40	39	35	35	35	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	33	34	35	35	35	34	34	39	37	35	33	33	33	32
Tue	33	34	34	36	34	36	35	35	34	34	35	38	35	34	34	35	33
Wed	33	34	35	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	38	42	39	34	36	35	33
Thu	33	34	35	34	33	35	38	36	35	39	43	42	39	34	36	35	33
Fri	33	34	34	33	34	42	48	54	58	60	63	64	57	52	45	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	44	54	63	60	59	53	48	64	46	38	35	34	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	40	43	42	40	39	40	39	35	35	35	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	33	34	33	34	35	35	35	34	34	39	37	35	33	33	33	32
Tue	33	34	34	36	34	36	35	35	34	34	35	38	35	34	34	35	33
Wed	33	34	35	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	38	42	39	34	36	35	33
Thu	33	34	35	34	33	35	38	36	35	39	43	42	39	34	36	35	33
Fri	33	34	34	33	34	42	48	54	58	60	63	64	57	52	45	35	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	44	54	63	60	59	53	48	64	46	38	35	34	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	40	43	42	40	39	40	39	35	35	35	33