Best Time to Drive from San Marcos to San Clemente

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 36 minutes via I-5 North and SR-78 West, usually 39 at this time.

Only 35% 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 San Clemente 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	34	34	34	34	35	37	36	37	36	36	36	36	40	35	35	35	34
Tue	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	37	35	36	36	35	35	34
Wed	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	36	35	37	36	36	36	35	35	34
Thu	34	35	34	34	35	37	36	36	38	36	36	36	41	40	37	36	34
Fri	34	34	34	35	36	37	37	42	44	51	50	50	54	48	38	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	34	35	37	49	51	49	62	59	49	43	37	35	35	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	35	39	62	56	72	67	59	52	50	39	36	36	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from San Marcos to San Clemente (via I-5 North and SR-78 West) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 54 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 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (72 minutes).

About 32 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (about 3 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Marcos to central San Clemente 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 San Clemente?

On weekdays, leave before 12 pm or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 54 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Marcos to San Clemente?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 34 to 54 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Marcos to San Clemente?

Leaving around 5 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 54 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

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

San Clemente 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	34	34	34	34	35	37	36	37	36	36	36	36	40	35	35	35	34
Tue	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	37	35	36	36	35	35	34
Wed	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	36	35	37	36	36	36	35	35	34
Thu	34	35	34	34	35	37	36	36	38	36	36	36	41	40	37	36	34
Fri	34	34	34	35	36	37	37	42	44	51	50	50	54	48	38	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	34	35	37	49	51	49	62	59	49	43	37	35	35	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	35	39	62	56	72	67	59	52	50	39	36	36	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	34	34	34	35	37	36	37	36	36	36	36	40	35	35	35	34
Tue	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	37	35	36	36	35	35	34
Wed	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	36	35	37	36	36	36	35	35	34
Thu	34	35	34	34	35	37	36	36	38	36	36	36	41	40	37	36	34
Fri	34	34	34	35	36	37	37	42	44	51	50	50	54	48	38	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	34	35	37	49	51	49	62	59	49	43	37	35	35	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	35	39	62	56	72	67	59	52	50	39	36	36	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	34	34	34	35	37	36	37	36	36	36	36	40	35	35	35	34
Tue	34	34	34	35	35	36	36	36	36	36	37	35	36	36	35	35	34
Wed	34	34	34	34	35	36	36	37	36	35	37	36	36	36	35	35	34
Thu	34	35	34	34	35	37	36	36	38	36	36	36	41	40	37	36	34
Fri	34	34	34	35	36	37	37	42	44	51	50	50	54	48	38	36	34
Sat	34	34	34	34	35	37	49	51	49	62	59	49	43	37	35	35	34
Sun	34	34	34	34	35	39	62	56	72	67	59	52	50	39	36	36	34