Traffic going toward San Diego

[mhalpern]

We are going to go to Sea World for a day trip on Monday, July 12th. What is the traffic like going from Anaheim to San Diego? Are we going to hit a lot of rush hour traffic if we leave between 8 and 9am? Any advice?

 

[blackjackdelta]

When we go to SD for the day we try to get going no later than 0630, our experience at later times has always been way busier than I like.

Jack

 

[mhalpern]

When we go to SD for the day we try to get going no later than 0630, our experience at later times has always been way busier than I like.

Jack

Yikes! That's too early for our blood. I was hoping to miss some of the traffic by leaving a little later than normal rush hour.

Anyone else have any experience with this?

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Yikes! That's too early for our blood. I was hoping to miss some of the traffic by leaving a little later than normal rush hour.

Anyone else have any experience with this?

I seem to recall from another thread that you have the family that just doesn't get up early and is really slow moving when they do get up. If 8 AM or 9 AM is the best you can do, then go with it, although I guess I would say try to be closer to 8 than 9 so at least you'll get the sitting in traffic over with sooner.

We don't have tons of experience driving down there, but we have several times driven between Disneyland and Legoland, which isn't as far as San Diego. We have done fine leaving between 7 AM and 8 AM, and except for the time there was the big-rig accident on the freeway, we were to Carlsbad by 9 ish which mostly jives with what Google maps will tell you. There is still traffic but I don't recall it being nearly as bad as traffic going north toward LA at the medium-busy times that we normally travel that way. I do remember several years ago having a really, really lousy time leaving San Diego at 3:15 on a weekday and heading north. We weren't even going to Disneyland but needed a quick rest stop near Anaheim, and that was at around 6 something that evening. So my advice for a return trip would be to leave San Diego later in the day rather than earlier, but that should work for you if you're all late-risers/night-owls anyway.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

It all depends on the day. There have been times when we have driven and run into very little traffic plus they have the HOV lanes that you can utilize and which I love!! Just watch the morning news and they should report it or there are online sites that give you that information. Good Luck!

 

[carolinamama]

Last Friday, we left Anaheim for SD around 9:15 am-ish. We were at Legoland in northern SD Cty in just over an hour. Traffic was busy but not bad at all.

 

[skiingfast]

Last Friday, we left Anaheim for SD around 9:15 am-ish. We were at Legoland in northern SD Cty in just over an hour. Traffic was busy but not bad at all.

I'd agree around 9 is the time to get going if you are leaving later than sooner. If you use the HOV or diamond or carpool lanes to get you mostly out of LA things will be moving well the rest of the way.

 

[Monkey Monkey]

There tends to be a lot of traffic around Carlsbad going south in the morning. If you aren't going to leave until later in the morning, I would encourage leaving at 9 or later. Leaving at 8 will get you stuck in traffic. The HOV lane is great, but ends before you get to San Diego County. There is a brief stretch of HOV lane around Del Mar, but it won't save you a lot of time because it's so short.

I know getting on the road early is difficult, but starting at 9, you won't get to SeaWorld until 10:30 at the very earliest, and probably closer to 11. Personally I would want to leave Anaheim by 7am.

FWIW, your drive back to Anaheim at night should be smooth sailing, as long as you leave SeaWorld after 7pm!

 

[jtown]

Yikes! That's too early for our blood. I was hoping to miss some of the traffic by leaving a little later than normal rush hour.

Anyone else have any experience with this?

Um...8am to 9am is normal morning rush hour. Pretty much the definition of rush hour. Office hours usually start between 8am and 9am so that's when the most cars will be on the road. Either late for 8am or trying to get to work by 9am.

So, yeah, either get on the road before 7 or wait until after 9. Between those hours, SoCal freeways are no place for sane people.

And, FYI, 5pm to 6pm is peak evening rush hour so plan the return trip accordingly. You don't want to be on SoCal freeways between roughly 4pm and 7pm.

 

[skiingfast]

SoCal freeways are no place for sane people.

I had to pull this quote out so it could be read on its won. A great warning for all visitors.

 

[carolinamama]

I had to pull this quote out so it could be read on its won. A great warning for all visitors.

I was SO glad someone had warned us about the motorcycles creating their own lanes before we went out there, or we would have totally freaked out the first time we saw that!

 

[SnowWhite09]

Last May we left at around 8am for SeaWorld. We arrived before 10am. The traffic was obviously a little heavy initially, but after the first hour it was pretty much a smooth run.