You’re driving from Los Angeles to San Diego and you want to know the best route. This is a long drive with lots of twists and turns, but we’ve got the map for you!
The scenic drive from san diego to los angeles is a road trip that will take you through some of the most scenic areas in California.
The drive from Los Angeles to San Diego offers more breathtaking landscape in a short amount of time than most cross-country journeys. This journey has your name written all over it if you only have a few days to spare and want to spend them in luxury.
From Los Angeles to San Diego, the 140-mile drive takes 2 hours and 20 minutes. Escondido and Santa Monica, as well as coastal destinations like Long and Huntington Beaches, Disneyland, and Crystal Cove State Park, are among the trip’s highlights.
There’s a lot to see on this amazing trip, so make sure you read all the way to the conclusion to get a sense of what to anticipate.
What is the distance between San Diego and Los Angeles, and how long will the journey take?
The distance between Los Angeles and San Diego is 120 miles, and the journey takes 2 hours and 20 minutes, not including the usual pauses along the route.
Because this is one of the most popular seaside itineraries in the United States, traffic around San Diego and Los Angeles may be very congested on weekends and during the holiday season.
Despite the abundance of oceanside choices, Newport Beach is one you won’t want to miss.
Shutterstock.com/Ric Sorgel
If you don’t take any diversions (which you should), you’ll be driving along Interstate 5, which is conveniently located near the Pacific Coast and the interior woods and parks that define the route.
Although you could complete this trip in a single day, taking as many diversions as possible is a preferable option. Orange County is a major stop along the trip, with its gorgeous beaches and oceanside towns perhaps the highlight of the journey.
The best route from Los Angeles to San Diego for a road trip
The easiest way to go from Los Angeles to San Diego is to travel Interstate 5; it’s not only convenient, but it also takes you past some of California’s most famous landmarks.
The path from Los Angeles to San Diego is shown here.
Exit Los Angeles on Interstate 5, going via Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. Between Crystal Cove State Park and Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park, take the highway and hug the shore at Capistrano Beach.
Continue on the route via San Clemente and San Onofre State Beach, stopping at Doheny State Beach along the way. Before arriving in San Diego, travel via Oceanside, Carlsbad, and Encinitas, as well as Torrey Pines State Reserve.
Between Los Angeles and San Diego, the best locations to stop are
There are many of fantastic locations to stay along the way from Los Angeles to San Diego. If at all possible, reserve an accommodation at one of the following resorts:
Carlsbad’s beaches are perfect for kicking up the sand.
Carlsbad is the perfect addition to any San Diego road trip, with its gorgeous beaches and spectacular natural views. Nothing beats the sunset over the Park Hyatt Aviara’s luxurious swimming pool area, as wonderful as all the hotels in town are.
When you walk in the door, the first thing you’ll notice is the stunning outside; with a courtyard like this, you’ll want to explore every nook and corner before venturing out into the city.
Carlsbad is one of the few cities in Southern California that exudes charm and appeal.
Shutterstock.com/Marcel Fuentes
The accommodations are amazing, and a large part of what makes them so special is the memorable balcony view of the pool, hotel grounds, and distant mountainous landscape.
Thanks to the hotel’s five restaurants, you can find any kind of meal you might be craving, and you can be sure you’ll be working up an appetite – with everything from tennis and golf courts to beaches within walking distance, you’ll be keeping quite busy during your stay.
This hotel is certainly pricey, even by South California standards, but considering the quality and location, it’s easy to understand why.
Indulge yourself with luxury in San Diego.
San Diego, a melting pot of cultures and architectural styles, is home to some of the finest resorts money can buy. Try to get a stay at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar for the utmost in luxury and high-class accommodations.
From the beautiful lounge to the large, eye-catching rooms, this hotel is designed to make you feel like royalty. Indeed, the view from the balcony is incentive enough to consider this location!
The four outdoor pools and six restaurants, not to mention the tennis fields and golf courses, add to the mythology. After a day of adventure, unwind with a drink at the bar or a massage at the on-site spa facility before retiring for the night.
Balboa Park should be your first stop in San Diego if you only had time to see one thing.
Shutterstock.com/Jon Bilous
Few hotels can claim to provide equestrian services, but the Fairmont Grand Del Mar is not your typical resort; for an additional charge, you can learn to ride a horse.
It goes without saying that this location is expensive, and it is also situated on the outskirts of San Diego. This shouldn’t deter you from staying here, however, since you’ll be directly on the beach and have access to practically every facility imaginable.
On a road journey from Los Angeles to San Diego, there are many sights to view.
The journey from Los Angeles to San Diego has a lot to offer, so even though it’s just a few hours long, you’ll want to spend at least three or four days taking it all in. It would be difficult to provide a comprehensive list of things to visit, but here are a few highlights:
- Disneyland – This renowned amusement park will transport you back to your youth, complete with some of television’s most famous characters.
- Long Beach – Long Beach is home to the one-of-a-kind Queen Mary boat/hotel, which is the first in a long series of coastal towns that make up this route.
- Huntington State Beach – A fantastic mix of oceanfront walks and beginner-friendly surfing areas.
- Newport Beach – Nothing matches a dawn vista from the famous Balboa Pier in Newport Beach.
- Limestone Canyon Nature Refuge – As the name suggests, this preserve is characterized by stunning rock formations that are best explored on a mountain bike.
- Crystal Cove State Park – This magnificent park’s tidepools, along with its excellent hiking paths, make it one of California’s best coastal experiences.
- San Juan Capistrano – A charming hamlet with an ancient Spanish mission going back to 1775.
- Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park – This park’s lush vegetation makes it the ideal spot for camping along this route.
- San Onofre State Beach – A lovely mix of rocky outcroppings and sandy beaches, all of which combine up to a superb surfing spot with a fantastic sunset view.
- Hellhole Canyon Preserve – A short walk or horseback ride through this park is a great change of scenery if you need a break from the ocean bed.
- Carlsbad is a seaside city where both Legoland and the SEA LIFE Aquarium are located.
- Escondido – Known for its magnificent vineyards and the San Diego Safari Park, Escondido is one of the most historic communities in this area of the United States.
A trip to Anaheim will take you to what must be the world’s most popular amusement park.
Shutterstock.com/James Kirkikis
Needless to say, there’s much more to see along the route; for example, for a change of scenery, you can always travel into Mexico and explore Tijuana.
When is the best time to go from Los Angeles to San Diego?
The road journey from Los Angeles to San Diego may be done at any time of year, but since the majority of the route is along the coast, certain seasons are clearly better than others.
To begin with, winter is clearly the worst season to do this journey; not only will the weather in San Diego be chilly and wet at this time of year, but you won’t be able to enjoy the beaches or woods along the route.
Summers in the 90s are a bit too hot for off-roading and trekking through woods, so if you want to divert interior in the early stages of your journey, summer may not be the ideal time.
The County Fair is only one of the numerous summer activities in San Diego.
Shutterstock.com/Elizabeth Winterbourne
The magnificent beaches that stretch the length of the South Pacific coast, on the other hand, are perhaps best experienced in the summer. Keep in mind, though, that this is also the peak season for the most of the oceanside destinations along this route.
In terms of San Diego proper, the summer temperatures are considerably more comfortable than in the often-sweltering Los Angeles region, and there are more events than you can handle – just bear in mind that the June fog means you won’t always get a lot of sun.
Fall is the ideal shoulder season for this vacation since spring in San Diego is usually a little chillier version of summer. Apart from the fact that the temperatures are similar to those of summer, the visitors begin to leave, and hotel rates plummet.
The la to san francisco is a trip that takes place from Los Angeles, California to San Francisco, California.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the ride from LA to San Diego?
The distance between Los Angeles and San Diego is 1,832 miles.
Can you drive the coast from San Diego to Los Angeles?
Yes, I can drive any coast from anywhere in the world.
What is halfway between LA and San Diego?
It is a little over 400 miles from Los Angeles to San Diego.
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