Best Time to Drive from Altadena to Santa Monica

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 30 minutes via I-10 West and I-110 South.

Only 12% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Altadena to Santa Monica by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	32	32	30
Tue	29	30	32	35	35	35	33	33	34	33	33	36	35	34	33	32	30
Wed	29	31	32	32	34	34	34	33	33	33	35	35	34	33	33	32	31
Thu	29	30	32	33	33	35	34	33	34	33	34	35	35	34	32	32	31
Fri	29	30	32	34	33	33	34	35	34	34	34	35	36	34	35	33	31
Sat	30	29	30	32	32	33	34	34	35	35	35	36	36	35	34	33	31
Sun	29	29	29	30	31	31	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	32	33	32	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Altadena to Santa Monica (via I-10 West and I-110 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 36 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (36 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Altadena to downtown Santa Monica along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Altadena to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 36 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Altadena to Santa Monica?

The 30-mile drive usually takes 29 to 36 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Altadena to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 36 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 West in Los Angeles (12 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (9 miles) · I-210 East in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to Altadena (return trip) · Altadena to Los Angeles · Altadena to Long Beach · Altadena to Anaheim · Altadena to Riverside · Altadena to Santa Ana · Altadena to Irvine · Altadena to San Bernardino · Altadena to Fontana · Altadena to Oxnard · Altadena to Moreno Valley · Altadena to Huntington Beach

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	32	32	30
Tue	29	30	32	35	35	35	33	33	34	33	33	36	35	34	33	32	30
Wed	29	31	32	32	34	34	34	33	33	33	35	35	34	33	33	32	31
Thu	29	30	32	33	33	35	34	33	34	33	34	35	35	34	32	32	31
Fri	29	30	32	34	33	33	34	35	34	34	34	35	36	34	35	33	31
Sat	30	29	30	32	32	33	34	34	35	35	35	36	36	35	34	33	31
Sun	29	29	29	30	31	31	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	32	33	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	32	32	30
Tue	29	30	32	35	35	35	33	33	34	33	33	36	35	34	33	32	30
Wed	29	31	32	32	34	34	34	33	33	33	35	35	34	33	33	32	31
Thu	29	30	32	33	33	35	34	33	34	33	34	35	35	34	32	32	31
Fri	29	30	32	34	33	33	34	35	34	34	34	35	36	34	35	33	31
Sat	30	29	30	32	32	33	34	34	35	35	35	36	36	35	34	33	31
Sun	29	29	29	30	31	31	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	32	33	32	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	32	32	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	33	32	32	30
Tue	29	30	32	35	35	35	33	33	34	33	33	36	35	34	33	32	30
Wed	29	31	32	32	34	34	34	33	33	33	35	35	34	33	33	32	31
Thu	29	30	32	33	33	35	34	33	34	33	34	35	35	34	32	32	31
Fri	29	30	32	34	33	33	34	35	34	34	34	35	36	34	35	33	31
Sat	30	29	30	32	32	33	34	34	35	35	35	36	36	35	34	33	31
Sun	29	29	29	30	31	31	32	33	33	33	33	34	33	32	33	32	30