Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Burbank to Santa Monica
Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 42 minutes via I-405 South and US-101 North, usually 29 at this time.
Only 2% 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 | 24 | 24 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 61 | 47 | 26 | 24 | 24 |
| Tue | 23 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 47 | 77 | 61 | 28 | 24 | 24 |
| Wed | 23 | 25 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 60 | 80 | 65 | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Thu | 23 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 30 | 53 | 72 | 58 | 34 | 25 | 24 |
| Fri | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 29 | 41 | 38 | 35 | 27 | 26 | 24 |
| Sat | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 |
| Sun | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 24-mile drive from Burbank to Santa Monica (via I-405 South and US-101 North) usually takes as little as 23 minutes and up to 80 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 26 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Sundays (31 minutes).
About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (6 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Burbank (East Olive Avenue) 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 Burbank to Santa Monica?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 23 minutes then, versus up to 80 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Burbank to Santa Monica?
The 24-mile drive usually takes 23 to 80 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 26 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Burbank to Santa Monica?
Leaving around 5 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 80 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) · SR-134 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)
Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow
More drives
Santa Monica to Burbank (return trip) · Burbank to Los Angeles · Burbank to Pasadena · Burbank to Long Beach · Burbank to West Covina · Burbank to Santa Clarita · Burbank to Torrance · Burbank to LAX · Burbank to Culver City · Burbank to El Monte · Burbank to Downey · Burbank to Whittier