Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from San Marcos to Poway
Right now (12:51 am PDT): about 19 minutes via I-15 South.
Only 40% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 19 | 20 | 27 | 34 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
| Tue | 19 | 20 | 31 | 41 | 32 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
| Wed | 19 | 21 | 29 | 38 | 30 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
| Thu | 19 | 21 | 29 | 39 | 29 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
| Fri | 19 | 21 | 25 | 29 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
| Sat | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
| Sun | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 18-mile drive from San Marcos to Poway (via I-15 South) usually takes as little as 19 minutes and up to 41 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 21 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (21 minutes).
About 13 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 17 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 Poway 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 Poway?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 19 minutes then, versus up to 41 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from San Marcos to Poway?
The 18-mile drive usually takes 19 to 41 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 21 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from San Marcos to Poway?
Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 41 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-15 South in San Diego (13 miles)
San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow
More drives
Poway 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