Best Time to Drive from San Pedro to Carlsbad

Right now (6:06 pm PDT): about 82 minutes via I-5 South and I-405 South and SR-73 South, usually 77 at this time.

Only 44% 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 Pedro to Carlsbad 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	76	77	78	87	80	77	77	78	78	79	78	79	78	77	76	76	75
Tue	74	76	79	92	85	78	78	78	78	79	80	80	80	79	77	76	74
Wed	74	76	78	87	84	78	78	78	78	79	80	80	80	78	77	75	75
Thu	74	76	78	87	85	80	79	78	80	80	84	81	81	80	77	75	75
Fri	75	76	77	82	82	83	87	93	100	102	102	99	91	81	78	76	75
Sat	74	74	75	78	88	96	93	92	97	89	89	88	80	77	76	75	74
Sun	76	75	75	76	77	81	85	83	82	82	81	80	77	77	77	76	75

About this drive

On weekdays the 84-mile drive from San Pedro to Carlsbad (via I-5 South and I-405 South and SR-73 South) usually takes as little as 74 minutes and up to 103 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 5:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 82 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (97 minutes).

About 82 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (2 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Pedro to central Carlsbad 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 Pedro to Carlsbad?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 5:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 74 minutes then, versus up to 103 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Pedro to Carlsbad?

The 84-mile drive usually takes 74 to 103 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 82 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Pedro to Carlsbad?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 103 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (19 miles) · SR-73 South in Orange County (17 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 South in San Diego (15 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (6 miles) · I-710 North in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carlsbad to San Pedro (return trip) · San Pedro to Los Angeles · San Pedro to Long Beach · San Pedro to Anaheim · San Pedro to Riverside · San Pedro to Santa Ana · San Pedro to Irvine · San Pedro to San Bernardino · San Pedro to Fontana · San Pedro to Oxnard · San Pedro to Moreno Valley · San Pedro to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	76	77	78	87	80	77	77	78	78	79	78	79	78	77	76	76	75
Tue	74	76	79	92	85	78	78	78	78	79	80	80	80	79	77	76	74
Wed	74	76	78	87	84	78	78	78	78	79	80	80	80	78	77	75	75
Thu	74	76	78	87	85	80	79	78	80	80	84	81	81	80	77	75	75
Fri	75	76	77	82	82	83	87	93	100	102	102	99	91	81	78	76	75
Sat	74	74	75	78	88	96	93	92	97	89	89	88	80	77	76	75	74
Sun	76	75	75	76	77	81	85	83	82	82	81	80	77	77	77	76	75

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	76	77	78	87	80	77	77	78	78	79	78	79	78	77	76	76	75
Tue	74	76	79	92	85	78	78	78	78	79	80	80	80	79	77	76	74
Wed	74	76	78	87	84	78	78	78	78	79	80	80	80	78	77	75	75
Thu	74	76	78	87	85	80	79	78	80	80	84	81	81	80	77	75	75
Fri	75	76	77	82	82	83	87	93	100	102	102	99	91	81	78	76	75
Sat	74	74	75	78	88	96	93	92	97	89	89	88	80	77	76	75	74
Sun	76	75	75	76	77	81	85	83	82	82	81	80	77	77	77	76	75

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	76	77	78	87	80	77	77	78	78	79	78	79	78	77	76	76	75
Tue	74	76	79	92	85	78	78	78	78	79	80	80	80	79	77	76	74
Wed	74	76	78	87	84	78	78	78	78	79	80	80	80	78	77	75	75
Thu	74	76	78	87	85	80	79	78	80	80	84	81	81	80	77	75	75
Fri	75	76	77	82	82	83	87	93	100	102	102	99	91	81	78	76	75
Sat	74	74	75	78	88	96	93	92	97	89	89	88	80	77	76	75	74
Sun	76	75	75	76	77	81	85	83	82	82	81	80	77	77	77	76	75