Best Time to Drive from San Diego to Carlsbad

Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via I-5 North, usually 53 at this time.

Only 45% 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 Diego to Carlsbad 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	32	34	37	36	35	34	34	34	34	38	43	42	34	33	33	33
Tue	32	32	33	36	38	35	34	34	34	35	42	50	48	39	33	33	33
Wed	32	33	33	36	38	36	35	35	35	36	44	53	54	41	34	33	33
Thu	32	32	34	36	36	36	36	35	34	36	46	57	56	41	34	33	33
Fri	32	33	33	35	35	34	34	36	38	43	53	55	44	35	34	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	33	33	35	39	40	40	38	38	37	36	34	34	34	33
Sun	32	32	33	33	33	36	41	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	34	34	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 35-mile drive from San Diego to Carlsbad (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 32 minutes and up to 57 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

About 32 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Diego (East Broadway) to central Carlsbad 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 Diego to Carlsbad?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 32 minutes then, versus up to 57 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Diego to Carlsbad?

The 35-mile drive usually takes 32 to 57 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Diego to Carlsbad?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 57 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (32 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carlsbad to San Diego (return trip) · San Diego to Escondido · San Diego to Oceanside · San Diego to El Cajon · San Diego to Los Angeles · San Diego to Irvine · San Diego to Temecula · San Diego to LAX · San Diego to Riverside · San Diego to Chula Vista · San Diego to La Jolla · San Diego to Anaheim

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	32	34	37	36	35	34	34	34	34	38	43	42	34	33	33	33
Tue	32	32	33	36	38	35	34	34	34	35	42	50	48	39	33	33	33
Wed	32	33	33	36	38	36	35	35	35	36	44	53	54	41	34	33	33
Thu	32	32	34	36	36	36	36	35	34	36	46	57	56	41	34	33	33
Fri	32	33	33	35	35	34	34	36	38	43	53	55	44	35	34	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	33	33	35	39	40	40	38	38	37	36	34	34	34	33
Sun	32	32	33	33	33	36	41	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	34	34	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	32	34	37	36	35	34	34	34	34	38	43	42	34	33	33	33
Tue	32	32	33	36	38	35	34	34	34	35	42	50	48	39	33	33	33
Wed	32	33	33	36	38	36	35	35	35	36	44	53	54	41	34	33	33
Thu	32	32	34	36	36	36	36	35	34	36	46	57	56	41	34	33	33
Fri	32	33	33	35	35	34	34	36	38	43	53	55	44	35	34	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	33	33	35	39	40	40	38	38	37	36	34	34	34	33
Sun	32	32	33	33	33	36	41	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	34	34	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	32	34	37	36	35	34	34	34	34	38	43	42	34	33	33	33
Tue	32	32	33	36	38	35	34	34	34	35	42	50	48	39	33	33	33
Wed	32	33	33	36	38	36	35	35	35	36	44	53	54	41	34	33	33
Thu	32	32	34	36	36	36	36	35	34	36	46	57	56	41	34	33	33
Fri	32	33	33	35	35	34	34	36	38	43	53	55	44	35	34	33	32
Sat	32	32	32	33	33	35	39	40	40	38	38	37	36	34	34	34	33
Sun	32	32	33	33	33	36	41	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	34	34	33