Best Time to Drive from Vista to Lakewood

Right now (8:52 pm PDT): about 74 minutes via I-5 North and SR-73 North and I-405 North, usually 71 at this time.

Only 45% 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 Vista to Lakewood 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	70	71	71	72	73	75	75	76	76	76	78	80	81	73	72	73	71
Tue	71	71	71	73	74	76	76	76	76	77	89	92	82	74	73	73	71
Wed	71	72	71	74	74	77	76	77	77	78	94	99	85	75	74	73	71
Thu	70	72	71	73	74	76	76	77	78	77	91	86	83	79	75	73	72
Fri	71	72	71	72	74	76	76	83	85	98	103	94	89	82	75	73	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	73	75	89	91	89	100	95	85	80	75	73	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	72	76	95	93	104	104	97	89	88	77	74	74	71

About this drive

On weekdays the 79-mile drive from Vista to Lakewood (via I-5 North and SR-73 North and I-405 North) usually takes as little as 70 minutes and up to 103 minutes, when leaving around 3 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 78 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (105 minutes).

About 74 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Vista to central Lakewood 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 Vista to Lakewood?

On weekdays, leave before 12 pm or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 70 minutes then, versus up to 103 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Vista to Lakewood?

The 79-mile drive usually takes 70 to 103 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 78 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Vista to Lakewood?

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

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (20 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-78 West in San Diego (7 miles)

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

More drives

Lakewood to Vista (return trip) · Vista to San Diego · Vista to Long Beach · Vista to Anaheim · Vista to Riverside · Vista to Santa Ana · Vista to Santa Monica · Vista to Chula Vista · Vista to Irvine · Vista to San Bernardino · Vista to Fontana · Vista to Moreno Valley

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	71	71	72	73	75	75	76	76	76	78	80	81	73	72	73	71
Tue	71	71	71	73	74	76	76	76	76	77	89	92	82	74	73	73	71
Wed	71	72	71	74	74	77	76	77	77	78	94	99	85	75	74	73	71
Thu	70	72	71	73	74	76	76	77	78	77	91	86	83	79	75	73	72
Fri	71	72	71	72	74	76	76	83	85	98	103	94	89	82	75	73	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	73	75	89	91	89	100	95	85	80	75	73	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	72	76	95	93	104	104	97	89	88	77	74	74	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	71	71	72	73	75	75	76	76	76	78	80	81	73	72	73	71
Tue	71	71	71	73	74	76	76	76	76	77	89	92	82	74	73	73	71
Wed	71	72	71	74	74	77	76	77	77	78	94	99	85	75	74	73	71
Thu	70	72	71	73	74	76	76	77	78	77	91	86	83	79	75	73	72
Fri	71	72	71	72	74	76	76	83	85	98	103	94	89	82	75	73	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	73	75	89	91	89	100	95	85	80	75	73	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	72	76	95	93	104	104	97	89	88	77	74	74	71

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	70	71	71	72	73	75	75	76	76	76	78	80	81	73	72	73	71
Tue	71	71	71	73	74	76	76	76	76	77	89	92	82	74	73	73	71
Wed	71	72	71	74	74	77	76	77	77	78	94	99	85	75	74	73	71
Thu	70	72	71	73	74	76	76	77	78	77	91	86	83	79	75	73	72
Fri	71	72	71	72	74	76	76	83	85	98	103	94	89	82	75	73	71
Sat	71	71	71	72	73	75	89	91	89	100	95	85	80	75	73	73	71
Sun	71	71	71	71	72	76	95	93	104	104	97	89	88	77	74	74	71