Best Time to Drive from San Marcos to Mission Viejo

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 47 minutes via I-5 North, usually 48 at this time.

Only 46% 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 Mission 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	46	46	47	47	49	50	50	51	50	49	49	49	53	48	47	48	46
Tue	46	47	47	48	49	50	50	50	49	49	50	48	49	48	48	48	46
Wed	46	47	47	48	49	51	50	51	50	49	50	49	49	48	49	48	46
Thu	46	47	47	48	49	50	50	50	52	50	50	49	54	54	50	49	47
Fri	46	47	47	48	49	51	50	58	61	73	69	64	67	59	51	48	46
Sat	46	46	46	47	48	50	66	68	66	78	73	63	56	51	48	49	46
Sun	46	46	46	47	47	52	77	71	86	85	76	67	65	53	50	50	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from San Marcos to Mission Viejo (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 73 minutes, when leaving around 2 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 10 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 52 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (86 minutes).

About 46 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (3 to 4 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 Mission 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 Mission Viejo?

On weekdays, leave before 10 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 73 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Marcos to Mission Viejo?

The 51-mile drive usually takes 46 to 73 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 52 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Marcos to Mission Viejo?

Leaving around 2 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 73 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (20 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (17 miles) · SR-78 West in San Diego (9 miles)

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

More drives

Mission 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	46	46	47	47	49	50	50	51	50	49	49	49	53	48	47	48	46
Tue	46	47	47	48	49	50	50	50	49	49	50	48	49	48	48	48	46
Wed	46	47	47	48	49	51	50	51	50	49	50	49	49	48	49	48	46
Thu	46	47	47	48	49	50	50	50	52	50	50	49	54	54	50	49	47
Fri	46	47	47	48	49	51	50	58	61	73	69	64	67	59	51	48	46
Sat	46	46	46	47	48	50	66	68	66	78	73	63	56	51	48	49	46
Sun	46	46	46	47	47	52	77	71	86	85	76	67	65	53	50	50	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	46	47	47	49	50	50	51	50	49	49	49	53	48	47	48	46
Tue	46	47	47	48	49	50	50	50	49	49	50	48	49	48	48	48	46
Wed	46	47	47	48	49	51	50	51	50	49	50	49	49	48	49	48	46
Thu	46	47	47	48	49	50	50	50	52	50	50	49	54	54	50	49	47
Fri	46	47	47	48	49	51	50	58	61	73	69	64	67	59	51	48	46
Sat	46	46	46	47	48	50	66	68	66	78	73	63	56	51	48	49	46
Sun	46	46	46	47	47	52	77	71	86	85	76	67	65	53	50	50	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	46	47	47	49	50	50	51	50	49	49	49	53	48	47	48	46
Tue	46	47	47	48	49	50	50	50	49	49	50	48	49	48	48	48	46
Wed	46	47	47	48	49	51	50	51	50	49	50	49	49	48	49	48	46
Thu	46	47	47	48	49	50	50	50	52	50	50	49	54	54	50	49	47
Fri	46	47	47	48	49	51	50	58	61	73	69	64	67	59	51	48	46
Sat	46	46	46	47	48	50	66	68	66	78	73	63	56	51	48	49	46
Sun	46	46	46	47	47	52	77	71	86	85	76	67	65	53	50	50	46