Best Time to Drive from Vista to San Diego

Right now (12:19 am PDT): about 38 minutes via I-5 South and SR-78 West.

Only 64% 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 San Diego 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	37	39	41	54	43	41	40	40	40	40	43	45	44	39	39	39	38
Tue	38	39	43	66	57	42	42	41	41	42	48	57	55	44	39	38	38
Wed	38	39	41	71	53	41	41	40	40	42	48	53	54	43	39	39	38
Thu	38	39	41	66	50	43	42	41	40	41	48	55	54	42	39	39	38
Fri	38	39	40	42	40	40	41	41	41	43	48	49	45	42	40	39	38
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	41	42	41	43	40	40	41	41	40	40	39	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	39	39	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 42-mile drive from Vista to San Diego (via I-5 South and SR-78 West) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 71 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 41 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

About 40 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.9 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Vista to downtown San Diego 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 San Diego?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 71 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Vista to San Diego?

The 42-mile drive usually takes 37 to 71 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 41 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Vista to San Diego?

Leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 71 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in San Diego (28 miles) · SR-78 West in San Diego (10 miles) · I-805 South in San Diego (3 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Diego to Vista (return trip) · 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 · Vista to Huntington Beach

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	41	54	43	41	40	40	40	40	43	45	44	39	39	39	38
Tue	38	39	43	66	57	42	42	41	41	42	48	57	55	44	39	38	38
Wed	38	39	41	71	53	41	41	40	40	42	48	53	54	43	39	39	38
Thu	38	39	41	66	50	43	42	41	40	41	48	55	54	42	39	39	38
Fri	38	39	40	42	40	40	41	41	41	43	48	49	45	42	40	39	38
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	41	42	41	43	40	40	41	41	40	40	39	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	39	39	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	41	54	43	41	40	40	40	40	43	45	44	39	39	39	38
Tue	38	39	43	66	57	42	42	41	41	42	48	57	55	44	39	38	38
Wed	38	39	41	71	53	41	41	40	40	42	48	53	54	43	39	39	38
Thu	38	39	41	66	50	43	42	41	40	41	48	55	54	42	39	39	38
Fri	38	39	40	42	40	40	41	41	41	43	48	49	45	42	40	39	38
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	41	42	41	43	40	40	41	41	40	40	39	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	39	39	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	39	41	54	43	41	40	40	40	40	43	45	44	39	39	39	38
Tue	38	39	43	66	57	42	42	41	41	42	48	57	55	44	39	38	38
Wed	38	39	41	71	53	41	41	40	40	42	48	53	54	43	39	39	38
Thu	38	39	41	66	50	43	42	41	40	41	48	55	54	42	39	39	38
Fri	38	39	40	42	40	40	41	41	41	43	48	49	45	42	40	39	38
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	41	42	41	43	40	40	41	41	40	40	39	38
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	39	39	38