Best Time to Drive from Whittier to San Clemente

Right now (7:04 pm PDT): about 55 minutes via I-5 South, usually 53 at this time.

Only 48% 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 Whittier 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	49	56	70	73	62	53	53	53	54	53	53	55	58	52	51	52	50
Tue	49	59	77	80	68	56	55	56	55	54	55	57	61	54	51	52	51
Wed	49	58	76	80	67	58	56	55	54	53	55	57	62	55	52	52	51
Thu	49	57	75	79	69	59	57	57	56	53	54	56	60	53	51	51	51
Fri	49	57	65	65	58	56	55	54	53	53	58	57	58	55	53	53	51
Sat	50	52	52	53	54	54	55	54	54	56	55	55	54	53	52	52	51
Sun	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	53	53	53	54	54	53	53	53	54	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 56-mile drive from Whittier to San Clemente (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 49 minutes and up to 83 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 6 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (56 minutes).

About 52 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 12 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Whittier 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 Whittier to San Clemente?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 6 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 83 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 56-mile drive usually takes 49 to 83 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Whittier to San Clemente?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 83 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (45 miles) · I-605 South in Los Angeles (7 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Clemente to Whittier (return trip) · Whittier to Santa Monica · Whittier to Long Beach · Whittier to West Covina · Whittier to Burbank · Whittier to Santa Clarita · Whittier to Van Nuys · Whittier to Torrance · Whittier to LAX · Whittier to Culver City · Whittier to Thousand Oaks · Whittier to Oxnard

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	56	70	73	62	53	53	53	54	53	53	55	58	52	51	52	50
Tue	49	59	77	80	68	56	55	56	55	54	55	57	61	54	51	52	51
Wed	49	58	76	80	67	58	56	55	54	53	55	57	62	55	52	52	51
Thu	49	57	75	79	69	59	57	57	56	53	54	56	60	53	51	51	51
Fri	49	57	65	65	58	56	55	54	53	53	58	57	58	55	53	53	51
Sat	50	52	52	53	54	54	55	54	54	56	55	55	54	53	52	52	51
Sun	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	53	53	53	54	54	53	53	53	54	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	56	70	73	62	53	53	53	54	53	53	55	58	52	51	52	50
Tue	49	59	77	80	68	56	55	56	55	54	55	57	61	54	51	52	51
Wed	49	58	76	80	67	58	56	55	54	53	55	57	62	55	52	52	51
Thu	49	57	75	79	69	59	57	57	56	53	54	56	60	53	51	51	51
Fri	49	57	65	65	58	56	55	54	53	53	58	57	58	55	53	53	51
Sat	50	52	52	53	54	54	55	54	54	56	55	55	54	53	52	52	51
Sun	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	53	53	53	54	54	53	53	53	54	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	49	56	70	73	62	53	53	53	54	53	53	55	58	52	51	52	50
Tue	49	59	77	80	68	56	55	56	55	54	55	57	61	54	51	52	51
Wed	49	58	76	80	67	58	56	55	54	53	55	57	62	55	52	52	51
Thu	49	57	75	79	69	59	57	57	56	53	54	56	60	53	51	51	51
Fri	49	57	65	65	58	56	55	54	53	53	58	57	58	55	53	53	51
Sat	50	52	52	53	54	54	55	54	54	56	55	55	54	53	52	52	51
Sun	50	50	50	51	52	53	53	53	53	53	54	54	53	53	53	54	50