Origin
Aliso Viejo, CA
Evening in Aliso Viejo on Friday
Local time
7:11 PM
PDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aliso Viejo, CA to San Diego, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 29m
Distance
73.9 mi
119 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$17
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 22m
★
6 AM
1h 29m
8 AM
1h 43m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 42m
8 PM
1h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aliso Viejo, CA
Wikimedia Commons
San Diego, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Aliso Viejo, CA to San Diego, CA covers 73.9 miles and takes about 1h 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on San Diego Freeway, San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor, Pacific Park Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 67.8 miles on San Diego Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $16.99 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in San Diego, CA
Full guide →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.
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 1h 29m. Total distance: 73.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 29m highway drive covering 73.9 miles, with most of the trip on San Diego Freeway and San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor. The longest continuous stretch is about 67.8 miles on San Diego Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
San Diego Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 67.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Aliso Creek Road.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 73.9 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.1 miles (Aliso Creek Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Aliso Creek Road
Turn left onto Aliso Creek Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left toward CA 73 Toll South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / uturn lanes.
Toward CA 73 Toll South
7
2.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CA 73 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CA 73 South
8
73.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 26m 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
73.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 27m 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
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 67.8 mi | 1h 19m |
| San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor | 2.5 mi | 2m |
| Pacific Park Drive | 1 mi | 1m |
| Front Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Aliso Creek Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| La Paz Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Aliso Viejo Parkway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 67.8 mi, about 1h 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aliso Viejo, CA and San Diego, CA.
1
Start on Aliso Viejo Parkway
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Aliso Viejo Parkway
2
Turn left onto Aliso Creek Road
0.5 mi
·
46 sec
·
Aliso Creek Road
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto Pacific Park Drive
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Pacific Park Drive
Use the right lane.
4
Turn left onto La Paz Road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
La Paz Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
29 sec
Toward CA 73 Toll South
Use the left / uturn lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
42 sec
Toward CA 73 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto CA 73 Toll
2.5 mi
·
2 min
·
San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor
8
Merge onto I 5
68 mi
·
1 hr 19 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 17
Toward Front Street, Civic Center, 2nd Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward Front Street, Civic Center
11
Continue on Front Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Front Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
12
Arrive at destination
Front Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 36.9 mi from Aliso Viejo, CA · 44m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
37 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 36.9 miles from Aliso Viejo, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before San Diego Freeway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 67.8 miles.
Arriving in San Diego, CA
The final approach into San Diego, CA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.99 one way
$33.97 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
26 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $17.50 | $35.01 |
| premium | $6.18 | $17.97 | $35.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $16.32 | $32.63 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$17
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 22.2 | 0 | $7.76 | $3.55 |
| Efficient EV | 18.5 | 0 | $6.47 | $2.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.6 | 0 | $10.35 | $4.73 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (65% 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
Evening in San Diego on Friday
Local time
7:11 PM
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.
Temperature spread
11 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 29m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Aliso Viejo, CA to San Diego, CA covers 73.9 miles and takes about 1h 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are San Diego Freeway, San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor, Pacific Park Drive. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 36.9 miles from Aliso Viejo, CA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $16.99 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 73.9 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Aliso Creek Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Aliso Viejo, CA to San Diego, CA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Cabrillo National Monument.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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