Best Time to Drive from San Diego to Imperial Beach

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 14 minutes via I-5 South, usually 14 at this time.

Only 20% 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 Imperial Beach 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	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	30	32	24	15	14	14	14
Tue	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	31	34	26	19	14	14	13
Wed	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	32	31	29	21	14	14	13
Thu	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	15	32	33	28	21	14	14	14
Fri	13	13	13	14	14	13	14	14	14	15	31	26	20	15	14	14	13
Sat	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	13
Sun	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	13

About this drive

On weekdays the 14-mile drive from San Diego to Imperial Beach (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 13 minutes and up to 36 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 2:30 pm or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 14 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 8:30 pm on Saturdays (14 minutes).

About 12 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 8 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 Imperial Beach 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 Imperial Beach?

On weekdays, leave before 2:30 pm or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 13 minutes then, versus up to 36 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Diego to Imperial Beach?

The 14-mile drive usually takes 13 to 36 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 14 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Diego to Imperial Beach?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 36 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (12 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego 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	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	30	32	24	15	14	14	14
Tue	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	31	34	26	19	14	14	13
Wed	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	32	31	29	21	14	14	13
Thu	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	15	32	33	28	21	14	14	14
Fri	13	13	13	14	14	13	14	14	14	15	31	26	20	15	14	14	13
Sat	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	13
Sun	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	13

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	30	32	24	15	14	14	14
Tue	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	31	34	26	19	14	14	13
Wed	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	32	31	29	21	14	14	13
Thu	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	15	32	33	28	21	14	14	14
Fri	13	13	13	14	14	13	14	14	14	15	31	26	20	15	14	14	13
Sat	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	13
Sun	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	13

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	30	32	24	15	14	14	14
Tue	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	31	34	26	19	14	14	13
Wed	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	32	31	29	21	14	14	13
Thu	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	15	32	33	28	21	14	14	14
Fri	13	13	13	14	14	13	14	14	14	15	31	26	20	15	14	14	13
Sat	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	13
Sun	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	13