Origin
Del Mar, CA
Morning in Del Mar on Sunday
Local time
8:50 AM
PDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from Del Mar, CA to San Diego, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
19.8 mi
32 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Del Mar, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Diego, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling the 19.9 miles from Del Mar to San Diego is a quick, straightforward journey perfect for a single-day trip. You can expect a typical drive time of about 25 minutes, making this an ideal commute or a short excursion along the Pacific Coast. With a fuel budget of just $3, this route is highly efficient for those looking to traverse these two coastal hubs without significant expense. Since you are staying within the same region, you won't need to worry about major transitions or overnight splits. It is a practical, no-nonsense path that relies on major local arteries to get you to your destination quickly.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 16.9 mi | 19m |
| Del Mar Heights Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Camino del Mar | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Front Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 16.9 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Del Mar, CA and San Diego, CA.
1
Start on S21; US 101 Hist
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Camino del Mar
2
Turn left onto Del Mar Heights Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Del Mar Heights Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 5 South
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Merge onto I 5
17 mi
·
19 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 17
Toward Front Street, Civic Center, 2nd Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward Front Street, Civic Center
7
Continue on Front Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Front Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Arrive at destination
Front Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 19.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Del Mar Heights Road
Turn left onto Del Mar Heights Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the ramp toward I 5 South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 5 South
5
2.1 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 5 / San Diego Freeway
Merge onto I 5 / San Diego Freeway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
19 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Front Street, Civic Center, 2nd Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 17
Toward Front Street, Civic Center, 2nd Avenue
7
19.2 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Front Street, Civic Center
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Front Street, Civic Center
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.55 one way
$9.10 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.69 | $9.38 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.82 | $9.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.37 | $8.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.08 | $0.95 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.73 | $0.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
San Diego, CA
Morning in San Diego on Sunday
Local time
8:50 AM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Road read
27m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive as you navigate away from Del Mar and head south. You will primarily utilize Del Mar Heights Road and I-5 South, also known as the San Diego Freeway, to complete your journey. Because this route features no highway-specific stretches in the traditional sense, you will be focused on navigating local traffic patterns rather than open-road cruising. The personality of this drive is functional and urban, requiring your attention as you transition between local streets and the interstate. It is a compact, focused experience that prioritizes speed and direct access over scenic wandering.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.9 mi on San Diego Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and Del Mar Heights Road. You will hit about 5 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near Del Mar Heights Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 19.8 miles you will encounter 5 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (Del Mar Heights Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (I 5 / San Diego Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Del Mar, CA
Full guide →Del Mar is a seaside town of 4,000 people (2020) in the north of San Diego County in Southern California. It has a Bavarian style village and the prettiest beach in California next to Carmel, dotted with old cypresses and clean, light sand, along with views up the coast to Orange County and down the coast to La Jolla.
Arriving in San Diego, CA
Full guide →Founded 1769
From balmy beaches with a laid-back attitude to a gleaming modern image, San Diego offers much for the tourist to enjoy. Situated on the Southern California seacoast, San Diego is the second largest city in the state, with 1.4 million residents (2020), and has long attracted travelers for its ideal climate, miles of beaches, and location on the Mexican border right across from Tijuana. But there's much more here than surfer culture and a quick hop across the border. A rich maritime and military heritage lives on in San Diego, which is home to the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy. The city has also become known for its part in the wildlife conservation movement, owing to the presence of the world-renowned San Diego Zoo and Safari Park and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Natural scenery abounds from rocky tidepools and seaside cliffs to desert hills and canyons inland.
Top landmarks
- • Balboa Park — historic park in San Diego, California
- • Cabrillo National Monument — National Monument of the United States and historic district
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 19.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.9 miles on San Diego Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (Del Mar Heights Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (I 5 / San Diego Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at San Diego, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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