Best Time to Drive from San Juan Capistrano to San Diego

Right now (7:32 pm PDT): about 62 minutes via I-5 South, usually 62 at this time.

Only 54% 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 San Diego 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	58	60	65	66	61	62	61	62	62	64	66	66	63	59	59	59	59
Tue	58	60	67	72	66	63	62	62	62	66	72	80	74	62	60	60	59
Wed	58	60	67	72	64	62	62	62	62	66	73	78	74	62	59	60	58
Thu	58	60	67	71	64	64	64	63	62	68	76	82	75	61	61	60	58
Fri	58	60	62	61	61	64	68	75	81	96	100	95	87	71	64	60	58
Sat	58	58	59	60	66	78	86	88	89	84	83	91	77	69	62	61	59
Sun	58	58	58	59	60	62	69	70	69	68	67	67	64	62	61	61	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 66-mile drive from San Juan Capistrano to San Diego (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 58 minutes and up to 100 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 66 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (91 minutes).

About 65 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.5 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 San Diego 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 San Diego?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 58 minutes then, versus up to 100 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 66-mile drive usually takes 58 to 100 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 66 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Juan Capistrano to San Diego?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 100 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (46 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (16 miles) · I-805 South in San Diego (3 miles)

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

More drives

San Diego to San Juan Capistrano (return trip) · San Juan Capistrano to Los Angeles

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	58	60	65	66	61	62	61	62	62	64	66	66	63	59	59	59	59
Tue	58	60	67	72	66	63	62	62	62	66	72	80	74	62	60	60	59
Wed	58	60	67	72	64	62	62	62	62	66	73	78	74	62	59	60	58
Thu	58	60	67	71	64	64	64	63	62	68	76	82	75	61	61	60	58
Fri	58	60	62	61	61	64	68	75	81	96	100	95	87	71	64	60	58
Sat	58	58	59	60	66	78	86	88	89	84	83	91	77	69	62	61	59
Sun	58	58	58	59	60	62	69	70	69	68	67	67	64	62	61	61	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	58	60	65	66	61	62	61	62	62	64	66	66	63	59	59	59	59
Tue	58	60	67	72	66	63	62	62	62	66	72	80	74	62	60	60	59
Wed	58	60	67	72	64	62	62	62	62	66	73	78	74	62	59	60	58
Thu	58	60	67	71	64	64	64	63	62	68	76	82	75	61	61	60	58
Fri	58	60	62	61	61	64	68	75	81	96	100	95	87	71	64	60	58
Sat	58	58	59	60	66	78	86	88	89	84	83	91	77	69	62	61	59
Sun	58	58	58	59	60	62	69	70	69	68	67	67	64	62	61	61	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	58	60	65	66	61	62	61	62	62	64	66	66	63	59	59	59	59
Tue	58	60	67	72	66	63	62	62	62	66	72	80	74	62	60	60	59
Wed	58	60	67	72	64	62	62	62	62	66	73	78	74	62	59	60	58
Thu	58	60	67	71	64	64	64	63	62	68	76	82	75	61	61	60	58
Fri	58	60	62	61	61	64	68	75	81	96	100	95	87	71	64	60	58
Sat	58	58	59	60	66	78	86	88	89	84	83	91	77	69	62	61	59
Sun	58	58	58	59	60	62	69	70	69	68	67	67	64	62	61	61	58