Best Time to Drive from BUR to Santa Monica

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 35 minutes via I-405 South and US-101 North, usually 36 at this time.

None 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 BUR 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	25	29	39	42	39	34	32	31	30	31	34	37	36	33	28	26	25
Tue	25	30	40	45	42	38	33	32	31	32	36	39	38	35	30	27	26
Wed	25	29	41	45	42	39	34	32	31	32	36	40	39	36	30	27	25
Thu	25	30	40	44	41	38	35	33	32	34	38	42	41	37	30	27	26
Fri	25	29	37	40	38	36	35	36	36	38	44	45	42	37	31	27	26
Sat	25	25	26	27	28	30	33	35	36	37	37	35	34	32	30	27	26
Sun	25	25	25	26	26	27	29	32	34	35	35	33	32	30	28	28	26

About this drive

On weekdays the 23-mile drive from BUR to Santa Monica (via I-405 South and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 25 minutes and up to 45 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).

About 18 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (9 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) 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 BUR to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 25 minutes then, versus up to 45 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 23-mile drive usually takes 25 to 45 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from BUR to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 45 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (10 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to BUR (return trip) · BUR to Los Angeles · BUR to Pasadena · BUR to Long Beach · BUR to West Covina · BUR to Santa Clarita · BUR to Torrance · BUR to LAX · BUR to El Monte · BUR to Downey · BUR to Whittier · BUR to Thousand Oaks

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	29	39	42	39	34	32	31	30	31	34	37	36	33	28	26	25
Tue	25	30	40	45	42	38	33	32	31	32	36	39	38	35	30	27	26
Wed	25	29	41	45	42	39	34	32	31	32	36	40	39	36	30	27	25
Thu	25	30	40	44	41	38	35	33	32	34	38	42	41	37	30	27	26
Fri	25	29	37	40	38	36	35	36	36	38	44	45	42	37	31	27	26
Sat	25	25	26	27	28	30	33	35	36	37	37	35	34	32	30	27	26
Sun	25	25	25	26	26	27	29	32	34	35	35	33	32	30	28	28	26

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	29	39	42	39	34	32	31	30	31	34	37	36	33	28	26	25
Tue	25	30	40	45	42	38	33	32	31	32	36	39	38	35	30	27	26
Wed	25	29	41	45	42	39	34	32	31	32	36	40	39	36	30	27	25
Thu	25	30	40	44	41	38	35	33	32	34	38	42	41	37	30	27	26
Fri	25	29	37	40	38	36	35	36	36	38	44	45	42	37	31	27	26
Sat	25	25	26	27	28	30	33	35	36	37	37	35	34	32	30	27	26
Sun	25	25	25	26	26	27	29	32	34	35	35	33	32	30	28	28	26

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	29	39	42	39	34	32	31	30	31	34	37	36	33	28	26	25
Tue	25	30	40	45	42	38	33	32	31	32	36	39	38	35	30	27	26
Wed	25	29	41	45	42	39	34	32	31	32	36	40	39	36	30	27	25
Thu	25	30	40	44	41	38	35	33	32	34	38	42	41	37	30	27	26
Fri	25	29	37	40	38	36	35	36	36	38	44	45	42	37	31	27	26
Sat	25	25	26	27	28	30	33	35	36	37	37	35	34	32	30	27	26
Sun	25	25	25	26	26	27	29	32	34	35	35	33	32	30	28	28	26