What is the Cause of I-5 South Saturday Traffic? (San Diego: land, roads)

[saibot]

Try leaving earlier for San Diego. 11:30 am is a bad time. When we go San Diego on the weekend, we try to leave before 9 am, and rarely have traffic.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by Surftown831

@luvsouthoc there is some traffic going north but not much. Most people are going down to SD on Saturdays, not the other way around.

We cancelled the trip and turned around and came back home. After almost an hour of driving we were barely past San Clemente. We were going to go to the Foodie Fest in San Diego. Maybe next year.

I guess you missed the red northbound in Camp Pendleton and all the way through San Clemente, which I posted. It's in both directions.


Notice also the northbound traffic on the 405.

[Podo944]

Yup, it's usually pretty horrid! Especially if there's some big event going on like Comicon! OMG! It's so bad!

[Des-Lab]

Why can't everyone else just be happy with Disneyland and Huntington and stay local so that way *I* can have a smooth, fast, and easy drive?

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by Des-Lab

Why can't everyone else just be happy with Disneyland and Huntington and stay local so that way *I* can have a smooth, fast, and easy drive?

Because we need to go to LA or SD and/or relatives/friends from those areas need to come here.

[Surftown831]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

I guess you missed the red northbound in Camp Pendleton and all the way through San Clemente, which I posted. It's in both directions.


Notice also the northbound traffic on the 405.

On that map camp pendelton area is mostly Orange. There is traffic, yes, but not like going south. The only area it gets "red" in is through San Clemente, and in one of my previous post I mentioned how Avo Pico area always seems to have more traffic coming north and I don't know why.

[Surftown831]

Originally Posted by Des-Lab

Why can't everyone else just be happy with Disneyland and Huntington and stay local so that way *I* can have a smooth, fast, and easy drive?

I don't really remember complaining, Im more confused just curious to the reasons behind it. I've lived in the Bay Area and South Florida, two regions with multiple metro areas, and I've never seen so much weekend traffic.

[HarryKerryJr]

The OP is correct. We used to take the train on many Saturdays for work and about the 10AM hour, I can tell you that nearly twenty YEARS ago this was the case, EVERY SATURDAY MORNING without exception. But most often back then it was NORTHBOUND 5 that was hardly moving, and sometimes southbound. The OP's observation does not surprise me, and we wondered where everyone was going so early on a Saturday instead of sleeping in, but both OC and LA have destinations for the day trippers on a day off of work.

Why? The same reason eastbound freeways all suck on Friday's heading to Las Vegas: people want to get out of town and have some fun. Yes, people in LA and OC LOVE San Diego because, although it is the nation's 6th largest city, it is so damn QUAINT compared to LA, and we LOVE that. A nice day trip, as one example, to SD's Embroiderer with lunch at Anthony's with a very affordable ferry ride to Coronado with a great view of downtown SD. Then a lovely drink at the unique Hotel de Coronodo and the decent Coronado beaches. Now, there are other things to do in SD, and great places in the villages of La Jolla and Del Mar, but also at other San Diego County coastal communities. It is NOT the beaches so much as the other activities and offerings of San Diego. Old Town SD also very decent restaurants, at least when I went there.

People in LA area always interested in exploring, event if takes them no further than the South Bay, Pasadena, Laguna Beach for some fine eats and shops or just a short drive or trian ride to San Diego, a very AFFORDABLE get away. Every major city in the world has such a population looking to get away for a day to some place different and pleasant and interesting. San Diego is an EXCELLENT city to visit.

Now, be aware that LEGIONS also make way to San Francisco each weekend, another very popular city of people in LA to visit for many of the same reasons as San Diego, but SF is more urban and artsy, but tourism is still SF's #1 industry, and there are lots of things to do, see, and EAT in the lovely City by the Bay. LA LOVES San Francisco, too. Some drive or fly up for the weekend, and it can be affordable if well planned in pricey San Fran.

People just LOVE to use their free time to change the scene and have some new experiences and get out and get away. This is extremely NORMAL.

[LuvSouthOC]

North and south traffic today.

[dexter14]

What is the Cause of I-5 South Saturday Traffic? The same cause there is always so much traffic, too many F'ing people and too many F'ing cars.