Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from San Diego to El Cajon
Only 22% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Tue | 15 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
| Wed | 15 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
| Thu | 15 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
| Fri | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
| Sat | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Sun | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 15-mile drive from San Diego to El Cajon (via SR-94 East) usually takes as little as 15 minutes and up to 22 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 16 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 8:30 pm on Sundays (16 minutes).
About 11 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 10 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 El Cajon (South Magnolia Avenue) 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 El Cajon?
On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 15 minutes then, versus up to 22 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from San Diego to El Cajon?
The 15-mile drive usually takes 15 to 22 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 16 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from San Diego to El Cajon?
Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 22 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
SR-94 East in San Diego (9 miles) · SR-125 North in San Diego (1.2 miles) · I-8 East in San Diego (1.1 miles)
San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow
More drives
El Cajon to San Diego (return trip) · San Diego to Escondido · San Diego to Oceanside · San Diego to Carlsbad · 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