Best Time to Drive from Buena Park to Santa Monica

Right now (7:49 pm PDT): about 34 minutes via I-5 North and I-10 West, usually 31 at this time.

Only 18% 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 Buena Park 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	30	44	52	60	48	41	39	38	37	38	38	36	36	33	32	31	30
Tue	30	49	59	68	52	45	39	38	36	37	37	37	37	35	34	32	30
Wed	30	45	57	60	50	42	39	37	36	35	38	37	38	36	33	31	30
Thu	30	46	57	65	52	46	42	39	37	37	41	43	42	37	35	33	31
Fri	31	43	44	48	43	40	41	40	43	43	44	42	43	43	38	34	31
Sat	30	31	34	34	36	41	44	41	40	38	37	38	39	37	36	34	32
Sun	30	30	30	31	32	35	35	39	38	39	38	38	39	42	42	38	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Buena Park to Santa Monica (via I-5 North and I-10 West) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 68 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (44 minutes).

About 33 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.8 miles surface streets (1 to 2 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Buena Park 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 Buena Park to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 68 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Buena Park to Santa Monica?

The 34-mile drive usually takes 30 to 68 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Buena Park to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 68 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (9 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to Buena Park (return trip) · Buena Park to Los Angeles · Buena Park to Long Beach · Buena Park to Anaheim · Buena Park to Riverside · Buena Park to Santa Ana · Buena Park to Irvine · Buena Park to San Bernardino · Buena Park to Fontana · Buena Park to Moreno Valley · Buena Park to Glendale · Buena Park to Santa Clarita

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	44	52	60	48	41	39	38	37	38	38	36	36	33	32	31	30
Tue	30	49	59	68	52	45	39	38	36	37	37	37	37	35	34	32	30
Wed	30	45	57	60	50	42	39	37	36	35	38	37	38	36	33	31	30
Thu	30	46	57	65	52	46	42	39	37	37	41	43	42	37	35	33	31
Fri	31	43	44	48	43	40	41	40	43	43	44	42	43	43	38	34	31
Sat	30	31	34	34	36	41	44	41	40	38	37	38	39	37	36	34	32
Sun	30	30	30	31	32	35	35	39	38	39	38	38	39	42	42	38	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	44	52	60	48	41	39	38	37	38	38	36	36	33	32	31	30
Tue	30	49	59	68	52	45	39	38	36	37	37	37	37	35	34	32	30
Wed	30	45	57	60	50	42	39	37	36	35	38	37	38	36	33	31	30
Thu	30	46	57	65	52	46	42	39	37	37	41	43	42	37	35	33	31
Fri	31	43	44	48	43	40	41	40	43	43	44	42	43	43	38	34	31
Sat	30	31	34	34	36	41	44	41	40	38	37	38	39	37	36	34	32
Sun	30	30	30	31	32	35	35	39	38	39	38	38	39	42	42	38	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	44	52	60	48	41	39	38	37	38	38	36	36	33	32	31	30
Tue	30	49	59	68	52	45	39	38	36	37	37	37	37	35	34	32	30
Wed	30	45	57	60	50	42	39	37	36	35	38	37	38	36	33	31	30
Thu	30	46	57	65	52	46	42	39	37	37	41	43	42	37	35	33	31
Fri	31	43	44	48	43	40	41	40	43	43	44	42	43	43	38	34	31
Sat	30	31	34	34	36	41	44	41	40	38	37	38	39	37	36	34	32
Sun	30	30	30	31	32	35	35	39	38	39	38	38	39	42	42	38	33