Best Time to Drive from Bakersfield to Santa Monica

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 110 minutes via I-5 South and SR-99 South and I-405 South, usually 108 at this time.

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

Minutes from Bakersfield 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	115	131	125	112	107	107	107	107	107	105	105	107	108	108	112	111	105
Tue	130	156	141	117	109	108	107	106	106	104	105	106	109	108	111	109	104
Wed	108	120	128	113	109	108	108	108	108	108	106	107	110	111	111	108	103
Thu	120	143	128	110	110	109	107	109	105	105	105	106	107	108	110	110	104
Fri	106	114	112	110	111	112	110	109	107	106	106	106	107	106	109	106	102
Sat	105	107	105	105	109	110	114	112	106	105	105	105	104	103	105	102	101
Sun	103	104	103	103	102	104	104	105	105	105	107	106	109	111	111	106	102

About this drive

On weekdays the 112-mile drive from Bakersfield to Santa Monica (via I-5 South and SR-99 South and I-405 South) usually takes as little as 102 minutes and up to 156 minutes, when leaving around 6 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 8 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 107 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (114 minutes).

About 91 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 21 miles surface streets (3 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave after 8 am. The drive usually takes about 102 minutes then, versus up to 156 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 112-mile drive usually takes 102 to 156 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 107 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Bakersfield to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 6 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 156 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Los Angeles (26 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · SR-99 South in Bakersfield (13 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Bakersfield traffic right now · Bakersfield traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Bakersfield to Los Angeles · Bakersfield to Santa Clarita · Bakersfield to Valencia · Bakersfield to Irvine · Bakersfield to Inglewood · Bakersfield to Indio · Bakersfield to Visalia · Bakersfield to Tulare · Bakersfield to Delano · Bakersfield to Wasco · Bakersfield to Corcoran · Bakersfield to Arvin

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	115	131	125	112	107	107	107	107	107	105	105	107	108	108	112	111	105
Tue	130	156	141	117	109	108	107	106	106	104	105	106	109	108	111	109	104
Wed	108	120	128	113	109	108	108	108	108	108	106	107	110	111	111	108	103
Thu	120	143	128	110	110	109	107	109	105	105	105	106	107	108	110	110	104
Fri	106	114	112	110	111	112	110	109	107	106	106	106	107	106	109	106	102
Sat	105	107	105	105	109	110	114	112	106	105	105	105	104	103	105	102	101
Sun	103	104	103	103	102	104	104	105	105	105	107	106	109	111	111	106	102

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	115	131	125	112	107	107	107	107	107	105	105	107	108	108	112	111	105
Tue	130	156	141	117	109	108	107	106	106	104	105	106	109	108	111	109	104
Wed	108	120	128	113	109	108	108	108	108	108	106	107	110	111	111	108	103
Thu	120	143	128	110	110	109	107	109	105	105	105	106	107	108	110	110	104
Fri	106	114	112	110	111	112	110	109	107	106	106	106	107	106	109	106	102
Sat	105	107	105	105	109	110	114	112	106	105	105	105	104	103	105	102	101
Sun	103	104	103	103	102	104	104	105	105	105	107	106	109	111	111	106	102

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	115	131	125	112	107	107	107	107	107	105	105	107	108	108	112	111	105
Tue	130	156	141	117	109	108	107	106	106	104	105	106	109	108	111	109	104
Wed	108	120	128	113	109	108	108	108	108	108	106	107	110	111	111	108	103
Thu	120	143	128	110	110	109	107	109	105	105	105	106	107	108	110	110	104
Fri	106	114	112	110	111	112	110	109	107	106	106	106	107	106	109	106	102
Sat	105	107	105	105	109	110	114	112	106	105	105	105	104	103	105	102	101
Sun	103	104	103	103	102	104	104	105	105	105	107	106	109	111	111	106	102