Best Time to Drive from San Marcos to Westminster

Right now (8:52 pm PDT): about 70 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North, usually 67 at this time.

Only 49% 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 Westminster 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	67	67	67	68	70	71	71	73	72	71	72	73	76	69	69	69	67
Tue	67	68	68	70	70	72	72	72	72	72	77	78	74	69	69	69	67
Wed	67	68	68	70	70	73	72	73	72	72	80	83	76	70	70	69	67
Thu	67	69	68	69	70	72	72	72	74	72	80	76	79	76	71	69	68
Fri	67	68	68	69	71	72	72	80	83	98	96	90	89	80	72	70	67
Sat	67	67	67	68	69	72	88	89	88	100	95	85	77	72	69	70	67
Sun	67	67	67	68	68	74	99	93	108	106	97	89	87	73	71	71	67

About this drive

On weekdays the 73-mile drive from San Marcos to Westminster (via I-5 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 67 minutes and up to 98 minutes, when leaving around 2 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 12 pm or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 74 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (108 minutes).

About 67 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (5 to 7 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 Westminster 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 Westminster?

On weekdays, leave before 12 pm or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 67 minutes then, versus up to 98 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 73-mile drive usually takes 67 to 98 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 74 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Marcos to Westminster?

Leaving around 2 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 98 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (20 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-78 West in San Diego (9 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (7 miles)

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

More drives

Westminster 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	67	67	67	68	70	71	71	73	72	71	72	73	76	69	69	69	67
Tue	67	68	68	70	70	72	72	72	72	72	77	78	74	69	69	69	67
Wed	67	68	68	70	70	73	72	73	72	72	80	83	76	70	70	69	67
Thu	67	69	68	69	70	72	72	72	74	72	80	76	79	76	71	69	68
Fri	67	68	68	69	71	72	72	80	83	98	96	90	89	80	72	70	67
Sat	67	67	67	68	69	72	88	89	88	100	95	85	77	72	69	70	67
Sun	67	67	67	68	68	74	99	93	108	106	97	89	87	73	71	71	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	67	67	68	70	71	71	73	72	71	72	73	76	69	69	69	67
Tue	67	68	68	70	70	72	72	72	72	72	77	78	74	69	69	69	67
Wed	67	68	68	70	70	73	72	73	72	72	80	83	76	70	70	69	67
Thu	67	69	68	69	70	72	72	72	74	72	80	76	79	76	71	69	68
Fri	67	68	68	69	71	72	72	80	83	98	96	90	89	80	72	70	67
Sat	67	67	67	68	69	72	88	89	88	100	95	85	77	72	69	70	67
Sun	67	67	67	68	68	74	99	93	108	106	97	89	87	73	71	71	67

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	67	67	67	68	70	71	71	73	72	71	72	73	76	69	69	69	67
Tue	67	68	68	70	70	72	72	72	72	72	77	78	74	69	69	69	67
Wed	67	68	68	70	70	73	72	73	72	72	80	83	76	70	70	69	67
Thu	67	69	68	69	70	72	72	72	74	72	80	76	79	76	71	69	68
Fri	67	68	68	69	71	72	72	80	83	98	96	90	89	80	72	70	67
Sat	67	67	67	68	69	72	88	89	88	100	95	85	77	72	69	70	67
Sun	67	67	67	68	68	74	99	93	108	106	97	89	87	73	71	71	67