Best Time to Drive from San Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles

Right now (12:19 am PDT): about 48 minutes via I-5 North.

Only 44% 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 Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles 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	56	58	64	59	54	56	57	59	59	62	62	62	59	54	51	48
Tue	49	56	64	66	62	58	58	58	58	59	64	66	66	62	57	51	49
Wed	49	55	61	63	60	57	57	58	58	58	65	67	67	64	57	52	48
Thu	49	56	61	64	61	58	59	58	58	61	65	69	66	61	58	53	49
Fri	49	55	55	57	56	58	59	60	62	64	67	68	69	66	58	54	49
Sat	48	49	51	51	53	57	58	58	58	58	59	60	59	57	57	54	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	51	52	56	55	57	58	58	58	59	60	60	55	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 55-mile drive from San Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 70 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 59 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 6:30 pm on Sundays (61 minutes).

About 54 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.1 miles surface streets (1 to 2 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Juan Capistrano to Downtown LA (City Hall) 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 Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 70 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles?

The 55-mile drive usually takes 48 to 70 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 59 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles?

Leaving around 5:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 70 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (43 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (11 miles)

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

More drives

Los Angeles to San Juan Capistrano (return trip) · San Juan Capistrano to San Diego · San Juan Capistrano to Long Beach · San Juan Capistrano to Anaheim · San Juan Capistrano to Riverside · San Juan Capistrano to Santa Ana · San Juan Capistrano to Chula Vista · San Juan Capistrano to Irvine · San Juan Capistrano to San Bernardino · San Juan Capistrano to Fontana · San Juan Capistrano to Moreno Valley · San Juan Capistrano to Huntington Beach

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	56	58	64	59	54	56	57	59	59	62	62	62	59	54	51	48
Tue	49	56	64	66	62	58	58	58	58	59	64	66	66	62	57	51	49
Wed	49	55	61	63	60	57	57	58	58	58	65	67	67	64	57	52	48
Thu	49	56	61	64	61	58	59	58	58	61	65	69	66	61	58	53	49
Fri	49	55	55	57	56	58	59	60	62	64	67	68	69	66	58	54	49
Sat	48	49	51	51	53	57	58	58	58	58	59	60	59	57	57	54	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	51	52	56	55	57	58	58	58	59	60	60	55	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	56	58	64	59	54	56	57	59	59	62	62	62	59	54	51	48
Tue	49	56	64	66	62	58	58	58	58	59	64	66	66	62	57	51	49
Wed	49	55	61	63	60	57	57	58	58	58	65	67	67	64	57	52	48
Thu	49	56	61	64	61	58	59	58	58	61	65	69	66	61	58	53	49
Fri	49	55	55	57	56	58	59	60	62	64	67	68	69	66	58	54	49
Sat	48	49	51	51	53	57	58	58	58	58	59	60	59	57	57	54	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	51	52	56	55	57	58	58	58	59	60	60	55	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	56	58	64	59	54	56	57	59	59	62	62	62	59	54	51	48
Tue	49	56	64	66	62	58	58	58	58	59	64	66	66	62	57	51	49
Wed	49	55	61	63	60	57	57	58	58	58	65	67	67	64	57	52	48
Thu	49	56	61	64	61	58	59	58	58	61	65	69	66	61	58	53	49
Fri	49	55	55	57	56	58	59	60	62	64	67	68	69	66	58	54	49
Sat	48	49	51	51	53	57	58	58	58	58	59	60	59	57	57	54	49
Sun	48	49	49	49	51	52	56	55	57	58	58	58	59	60	60	55	49