Best Time to Drive from San Marcos to Aliso Viejo

Right now (12:51 am PDT): about 51 minutes via I-5 North.

Only 47% 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 Marcos to Aliso Viejo 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	48	48	48	49	50	52	52	53	52	51	51	51	54	50	50	50	48
Tue	48	49	49	50	50	52	52	52	51	51	52	50	51	50	50	50	49
Wed	48	49	49	50	50	53	52	53	51	51	52	51	51	51	51	50	48
Thu	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	52	54	52	52	51	57	56	53	51	49
Fri	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	59	63	70	68	68	70	63	53	51	48
Sat	48	48	48	49	50	52	65	67	64	73	71	63	58	52	50	51	48
Sun	48	48	48	49	49	54	79	74	91	86	79	71	69	54	52	52	48

About this drive

On weekdays the 52-mile drive from San Marcos to Aliso Viejo (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 70 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 12 pm or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (91 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (5 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Marcos to central Aliso Viejo 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 Marcos to Aliso Viejo?

On weekdays, leave before 12 pm or after 6:30 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 Marcos to Aliso Viejo?

The 52-mile drive usually takes 48 to 70 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Marcos to Aliso Viejo?

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

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (20 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-78 West in San Diego (9 miles) · SR-73 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

Aliso Viejo to San Marcos (return trip) · San Marcos to San Diego · San Marcos to Anaheim · San Marcos to Riverside · San Marcos to Santa Ana · San Marcos to Chula Vista · San Marcos to Irvine · San Marcos to San Bernardino · San Marcos to Fontana · San Marcos to Moreno Valley · San Marcos to Huntington Beach · San Marcos to Oceanside

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	48	48	49	50	52	52	53	52	51	51	51	54	50	50	50	48
Tue	48	49	49	50	50	52	52	52	51	51	52	50	51	50	50	50	49
Wed	48	49	49	50	50	53	52	53	51	51	52	51	51	51	51	50	48
Thu	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	52	54	52	52	51	57	56	53	51	49
Fri	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	59	63	70	68	68	70	63	53	51	48
Sat	48	48	48	49	50	52	65	67	64	73	71	63	58	52	50	51	48
Sun	48	48	48	49	49	54	79	74	91	86	79	71	69	54	52	52	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	48	48	49	50	52	52	53	52	51	51	51	54	50	50	50	48
Tue	48	49	49	50	50	52	52	52	51	51	52	50	51	50	50	50	49
Wed	48	49	49	50	50	53	52	53	51	51	52	51	51	51	51	50	48
Thu	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	52	54	52	52	51	57	56	53	51	49
Fri	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	59	63	70	68	68	70	63	53	51	48
Sat	48	48	48	49	50	52	65	67	64	73	71	63	58	52	50	51	48
Sun	48	48	48	49	49	54	79	74	91	86	79	71	69	54	52	52	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	48	48	49	50	52	52	53	52	51	51	51	54	50	50	50	48
Tue	48	49	49	50	50	52	52	52	51	51	52	50	51	50	50	50	49
Wed	48	49	49	50	50	53	52	53	51	51	52	51	51	51	51	50	48
Thu	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	52	54	52	52	51	57	56	53	51	49
Fri	48	49	49	50	51	53	52	59	63	70	68	68	70	63	53	51	48
Sat	48	48	48	49	50	52	65	67	64	73	71	63	58	52	50	51	48
Sun	48	48	48	49	49	54	79	74	91	86	79	71	69	54	52	52	48