Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Atascadero to Santa Monica
Right now (12:51 am PST): about 212 minutes via I-5 South.
Only 29% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 238 | 239 | 225 | 216 | 216 | 215 | 217 | 217 | 216 | 218 | 220 | 223 | 226 | 231 | 230 | 223 | 216 |
| Tue | 264 | 261 | 231 | 221 | 217 | 217 | 216 | 215 | 216 | 215 | 219 | 224 | 226 | 230 | 227 | 221 | 213 |
| Wed | 225 | 236 | 230 | 221 | 219 | 218 | 217 | 218 | 216 | 216 | 217 | 223 | 227 | 228 | 226 | 218 | 212 |
| Thu | 243 | 239 | 224 | 222 | 220 | 216 | 216 | 217 | 215 | 215 | 218 | 220 | 225 | 226 | 226 | 220 | 211 |
| Fri | 225 | 227 | 222 | 221 | 223 | 219 | 218 | 216 | 216 | 217 | 217 | 219 | 219 | 221 | 221 | 214 | 211 |
| Sat | 215 | 215 | 215 | 217 | 218 | 220 | 220 | 216 | 215 | 215 | 214 | 215 | 213 | 213 | 212 | 211 | 209 |
| Sun | 213 | 213 | 212 | 212 | 212 | 213 | 214 | 215 | 216 | 217 | 218 | 220 | 223 | 224 | 222 | 216 | 209 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 218-mile drive from Atascadero to Santa Monica (via I-5 South) usually takes as little as 211 minutes and up to 271 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 7 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 216 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5:30 pm on Sundays (224 minutes).
About 147 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 71 miles surface streets (about 61 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Atascadero 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 Atascadero to Santa Monica?
On weekdays, leave after 7 am. The drive usually takes about 211 minutes then, versus up to 271 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Atascadero to Santa Monica?
The 218-mile drive usually takes 211 to 271 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 216 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Atascadero to Santa Monica?
Leaving around 5:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 271 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-5 South in Los Angeles (26 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Bakersfield (12 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)
Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow