Best Time to Drive from San Clemente to Whittier

Right now (7:04 pm PDT): about 56 minutes via I-5 North, usually 59 at this time.

Only 56% 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 Whittier 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	49	51	54	59	56	54	57	58	61	63	67	67	67	61	56	52	49
Tue	49	52	56	61	59	57	58	59	61	63	67	70	71	65	58	52	50
Wed	49	52	56	59	58	58	60	60	62	62	68	72	72	66	59	54	50
Thu	49	52	55	58	59	58	60	60	61	64	67	72	70	64	59	54	50
Fri	49	52	54	56	55	58	60	61	63	67	72	71	70	65	58	55	50
Sat	49	50	51	51	52	56	58	60	61	61	62	62	62	58	57	54	50
Sun	49	50	50	50	51	52	55	56	59	60	62	62	61	60	59	54	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 56-mile drive from San Clemente to Whittier (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 49 minutes and up to 72 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 61 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (62 minutes).

About 53 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 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 Whittier 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 Whittier?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 72 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 56-mile drive usually takes 49 to 72 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Clemente to Whittier?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 72 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (49 miles) · I-605 North in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

More drives

Whittier 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	49	51	54	59	56	54	57	58	61	63	67	67	67	61	56	52	49
Tue	49	52	56	61	59	57	58	59	61	63	67	70	71	65	58	52	50
Wed	49	52	56	59	58	58	60	60	62	62	68	72	72	66	59	54	50
Thu	49	52	55	58	59	58	60	60	61	64	67	72	70	64	59	54	50
Fri	49	52	54	56	55	58	60	61	63	67	72	71	70	65	58	55	50
Sat	49	50	51	51	52	56	58	60	61	61	62	62	62	58	57	54	50
Sun	49	50	50	50	51	52	55	56	59	60	62	62	61	60	59	54	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	51	54	59	56	54	57	58	61	63	67	67	67	61	56	52	49
Tue	49	52	56	61	59	57	58	59	61	63	67	70	71	65	58	52	50
Wed	49	52	56	59	58	58	60	60	62	62	68	72	72	66	59	54	50
Thu	49	52	55	58	59	58	60	60	61	64	67	72	70	64	59	54	50
Fri	49	52	54	56	55	58	60	61	63	67	72	71	70	65	58	55	50
Sat	49	50	51	51	52	56	58	60	61	61	62	62	62	58	57	54	50
Sun	49	50	50	50	51	52	55	56	59	60	62	62	61	60	59	54	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	51	54	59	56	54	57	58	61	63	67	67	67	61	56	52	49
Tue	49	52	56	61	59	57	58	59	61	63	67	70	71	65	58	52	50
Wed	49	52	56	59	58	58	60	60	62	62	68	72	72	66	59	54	50
Thu	49	52	55	58	59	58	60	60	61	64	67	72	70	64	59	54	50
Fri	49	52	54	56	55	58	60	61	63	67	72	71	70	65	58	55	50
Sat	49	50	51	51	52	56	58	60	61	61	62	62	62	58	57	54	50
Sun	49	50	50	50	51	52	55	56	59	60	62	62	61	60	59	54	50