Best Route: Palmdale to San Diego, avoiding LA

I live 1 mile north of the 138, and between Palmdale, and El Mirage. ( Lake L.A. Area) Yeah, take the 138 to the 15, then take the 15 all the way thru Elsinore, and T
emecula, down thru Escondido, and on the San Diego.

Hwy 138 connects with I-15 south of the Cajon Pass.....it is right at the bottom where the truck scales are and where McDonalds WAS.....recent fire thru there

138 to 15 to San Diego-------you will run into traffic most any where after 210 interchange.

I personally try to avoid the Cajon Pass so the 138 to the 15 would not be my choice. For me, 14 to 210 to the 15 works fine, it is a bit longer but usually has less traffic. You can still get into a mess on the 210 around Santa Anita. Once on the 210, if it jams up, you can take the 605 to the 10 or the 5 as alternates. But I usually just stick with the 210. I really dislike the drive south from the LA area to San Diego as there are so many choke points along the way. Good Luck.

Sweet shortcut. Used it several times. Expect some congestion on 15 as you get closer to San Diego, depending on the time of day, but nothing like LA congestion. Go for it.

al