Best Time to Drive from San Diego to Fountain Valley

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 96 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North, usually 82 at this time.

Only 70% 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 Fountain Valley 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	79	79	81	85	85	84	84	84	84	84	90	97	92	82	81	81	80
Tue	79	80	81	85	88	86	84	84	84	86	99	107	99	88	82	81	80
Wed	79	80	81	85	89	87	85	86	85	88	103	110	105	90	83	81	80
Thu	79	80	81	85	86	86	86	86	85	87	101	112	107	92	83	82	80
Fri	79	80	81	83	84	85	85	88	91	98	105	103	92	84	83	82	79
Sat	79	79	79	80	82	87	92	94	92	91	88	88	85	82	82	83	80
Sun	79	80	80	80	81	85	94	94	95	95	91	89	87	83	83	83	79

About this drive

On weekdays the 90-mile drive from San Diego to Fountain Valley (via I-5 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 79 minutes and up to 112 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 1:30 pm or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 86 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (96 minutes).

About 89 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.6 miles surface streets (2 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown San Diego to central Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley?

On weekdays, leave before 1:30 pm or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 79 minutes then, versus up to 112 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Diego to Fountain Valley?

The 90-mile drive usually takes 79 to 112 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 86 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Diego to Fountain Valley?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 112 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (55 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

San Diego to Escondido · San Diego to Oceanside · San Diego to El Cajon · 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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	79	81	85	85	84	84	84	84	84	90	97	92	82	81	81	80
Tue	79	80	81	85	88	86	84	84	84	86	99	107	99	88	82	81	80
Wed	79	80	81	85	89	87	85	86	85	88	103	110	105	90	83	81	80
Thu	79	80	81	85	86	86	86	86	85	87	101	112	107	92	83	82	80
Fri	79	80	81	83	84	85	85	88	91	98	105	103	92	84	83	82	79
Sat	79	79	79	80	82	87	92	94	92	91	88	88	85	82	82	83	80
Sun	79	80	80	80	81	85	94	94	95	95	91	89	87	83	83	83	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	79	81	85	85	84	84	84	84	84	90	97	92	82	81	81	80
Tue	79	80	81	85	88	86	84	84	84	86	99	107	99	88	82	81	80
Wed	79	80	81	85	89	87	85	86	85	88	103	110	105	90	83	81	80
Thu	79	80	81	85	86	86	86	86	85	87	101	112	107	92	83	82	80
Fri	79	80	81	83	84	85	85	88	91	98	105	103	92	84	83	82	79
Sat	79	79	79	80	82	87	92	94	92	91	88	88	85	82	82	83	80
Sun	79	80	80	80	81	85	94	94	95	95	91	89	87	83	83	83	79

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	79	79	81	85	85	84	84	84	84	84	90	97	92	82	81	81	80
Tue	79	80	81	85	88	86	84	84	84	86	99	107	99	88	82	81	80
Wed	79	80	81	85	89	87	85	86	85	88	103	110	105	90	83	81	80
Thu	79	80	81	85	86	86	86	86	85	87	101	112	107	92	83	82	80
Fri	79	80	81	83	84	85	85	88	91	98	105	103	92	84	83	82	79
Sat	79	79	79	80	82	87	92	94	92	91	88	88	85	82	82	83	80
Sun	79	80	80	80	81	85	94	94	95	95	91	89	87	83	83	83	79