When to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway

When to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway depends on whether you want to drive in Oregon and Washington as well as California, and on the weather.

Red sports car parked off the Pacific Coast Highway

Your decision on when to drive the Pacific Coast Highway may be out of your hands, if you're having to coincide with a family event, say, or a conference, or if your holiday period is fixed. But assuming you have a free choice, when is the best time to head for the west coast and one of the most famous drives in the USA?

When to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway

It firstly depends on whether you plan to include any of the Oregon and Washington coasts in your trip, or if you'll be staying in California. If you intend to drive the whole of the Pacific coast then your window of opportunity is a little smaller, assuming you want to have decent weather for your drive.

For more detailed weather information see our page on
Weather on the Pacific Coast Highway.

Driving the Highway in Washington and Oregon

The further north you go, the worse the winter weather. Unless you like driving in snow and rain, Washington and Oregon are best avoided in the winter months.

Even spring and fall can bring cold weather, and some snow. Our advice is to plan your PCH drive for the summer months of June through to September, when you're more likely to have warm days, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

There's still a chance of rain so pack your raincoat and an umbrella, just in case. And you are by the sea, so it can get chilly at night.

Driving the Highway in California

If you're only going to be driving in California, and especially in Southern California, then you have a much wider time period to build your plans around.

The further south you are, the milder the weather even in winter. The song says that 'It never rains in Southern California', and while this isn't strictly true, you do get a lot of sunshine. You do also get winter storms, so be prepared for those. There have been some bad ones in recent years, not the kind of thing you want to be driving in if you can help it.

The winter storms often bring problems around the Big Sur stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, where the mountains come right down to the sea. It makes for the dramatic scenery, but it also makes for landslides and road closures.

We've been in Southern California in the winter when it's been warm enough to enjoy the beach in Santa Monica, but we've also experienced heavy rain and cold winds.

When to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway?

For us, the best times to drive the Pacific Coast Highway are from late spring, through summer, to early fall. In July and August you have the best chance of almost-perfect weather, but you also have the busiest crowds and high-season hotel prices. It will be harder to get into the restaurants you want to eat in, as well.

We would choose May/June or September/October as the best times to drive the west coast. If you're driving from south to north then do it in the spring, so the weather ought to get better as you head north. And if you're driving north-south, the opposite applies and you should drive it in the fall. These aren't fool proof, obviously, as you can never predict the weather in any given year, but they're a guide as to what to expect.

Booking Hotels

If you're driving in July and August you should definitely plan your trip more closely and book your hotels in advance, not just to secure the best rates but to secure a room!

Outside those months (and outside holiday weekends) you should be pretty safe if you prefer to do things more loosely and find your accommodation as you go long. This allows you the flexibility of staying longer if you find a place you like, and making up the time later.

Our PCH Hotels Guide lists places in different price brackets in most of the places you're likely to want to stay in.

Other driving pages

Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Five Days
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in five days, including the best places to stay over, and the best things to do and see.
Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Four Days
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in four days, including the best places to stay, and the best things to do and see.
Pacific Coast Highway Driving Tips
Pacific Coast Highway driving tips for this great American road trip include finding cheap gas, watching the speed limits, and allowing plenty of travel time.
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide
Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide book covering the drive from Vancouver to San Diego.
Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Two Days
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in two days, including the best places to stay, and the best things to do and see.
Route 66 Meets the Pacific Coast Highway
Historic Route 66 winds from Chicago to LA, going through Los Angeles, meeting the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, California, at the Santa Monica Pier.
Driving the Pacific Coast Highway in Three Days
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's advice on driving the Pacific Coast Highway in three days, including the best places to stay, and the best things to do and see.
Pacific Coast Highway Stops
Pacific Coast Highway stops include big city vacation destinations like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, and smaller places like Monterey.
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway
Here are the basic facts if you plan to drive the Pacific Coast Highway, including which is the best direction and when is the best time to go driving.
Pacific Coast Highway in California
The Pacific Coast Highway in California book shows in historic photos the building of the Pacific Coast Highway from its earliest beginnings in 1911.
LA to Hearst Castle
Pacific Coast Highway travel offers advice on driving from LA to Hearst Castle, including distance, journey time, and route.
Washington Coast Charging Stations
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's guide to Washington coast charging stations for electric vehicles along Highway 101 from Oregon and around the Olympic Peninsula.
Coastal California Guidebook
Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.
West Coast RV Parks
One of the best guides to West Coast RV Parks, covering campgrounds in California, Oregon, and Washington, is West Coast RV Camping from Moon Guides.
Epic Drives of the World
Epic Drives of the World from Lonely Planet describes 50 of the world's most exciting road trips, including, of course, the Pacific Coast Highway.
Ways to Go
Here are links to the different ways you can go along the Pacific Coast Highway, one of the most popular drives in the world but you can also cycle it.
California Driving Laws
If visiting California and planning to drive the Pacific Coast Highway it's important to know California driving laws in case they differ from your own state.
Best Time to Drive the Pacific Coast Highway
The best time to drive the Pacific Coast Highway is when you have the most time to spare, but late spring and fall is when you'll get the best weather.
Oregon Coast Charging Stations
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's guide to Oregon coast charging stations for electric vehicles, from Brookings in the south to Astoria in the north.
The 17-Mile Drive between Carmel, Pacific Grove, and Monterey
Pacific Coast Highway Travel takes the 17-Mile Drive from Carmel to Pacific Grove and Monterey, stopping to see the Lone Cypress and beautiful coastline views.
Driving the Pacific Coast Highway
Driving the Pacific Coast Highway is made easier with Road Trip USA by Jamie Jensen, a good handbook for the west coast drive.
Maps of the Pacific Coast Highway: Free Driving Maps of the PCH
Road maps of the Pacific Coast Highway or PCH are essential for anyone planning to drive the trip, and detailed routes are available for free.
Pacific Coast Highway Drive Times and Distances
Drive times and distances on the Pacific Coast Highway or the quickest routes from Seattle to San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Diego.
Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips: Lonely Planet Guidebook Review
Review of the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips book from Lonely Planet, which includes a California Driving Guide, by the Pacific Coast Highway Travel website.
San Francisco to San Diego
Driving from San Francisco to San Diego has two main options, the fast way on I-5 or the scenic route along the Pacific Coast Highway.