Best Time to Drive from Canyon Lake to Santa Monica

Right now (6:50 pm PDT): about 94 minutes via SR-60 West and I-15 North, usually 93 at this time.

Only 25% 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 Canyon Lake 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	141	178	183	162	142	130	112	100	97	96	95	94	90	88	86	85	86
Tue	140	175	173	161	141	128	111	100	98	98	103	98	96	96	95	89	84
Wed	147	161	169	160	133	123	109	100	100	98	98	95	96	89	88	86	83
Thu	142	159	162	147	129	125	109	104	101	97	99	96	96	89	88	87	84
Fri	118	136	126	122	120	118	108	104	105	106	111	110	102	96	93	91	83
Sat	87	90	89	92	102	122	120	125	121	110	110	108	99	90	86	96	94
Sun	83	84	83	86	88	109	115	108	100	93	90	88	88	89	89	87	83

About this drive

On weekdays the 89-mile drive from Canyon Lake to Santa Monica (via SR-60 West and I-15 North) usually takes as little as 83 minutes and up to 184 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Mondays. The fastest times to leave are after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 102 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (126 minutes).

About 81 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 8 miles surface streets (11 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Canyon Lake 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 Canyon Lake to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 83 minutes then, versus up to 184 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Canyon Lake to Santa Monica?

The 89-mile drive usually takes 83 to 184 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 102 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Canyon Lake to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Mondays is usually slowest, about 184 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-60 West in Los Angeles (29 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-15 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-91 West in Orange County (8 miles) · I-15 North in Inland Empire (5 miles) · SR-71 South in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	141	178	183	162	142	130	112	100	97	96	95	94	90	88	86	85	86
Tue	140	175	173	161	141	128	111	100	98	98	103	98	96	96	95	89	84
Wed	147	161	169	160	133	123	109	100	100	98	98	95	96	89	88	86	83
Thu	142	159	162	147	129	125	109	104	101	97	99	96	96	89	88	87	84
Fri	118	136	126	122	120	118	108	104	105	106	111	110	102	96	93	91	83
Sat	87	90	89	92	102	122	120	125	121	110	110	108	99	90	86	96	94
Sun	83	84	83	86	88	109	115	108	100	93	90	88	88	89	89	87	83

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	141	178	183	162	142	130	112	100	97	96	95	94	90	88	86	85	86
Tue	140	175	173	161	141	128	111	100	98	98	103	98	96	96	95	89	84
Wed	147	161	169	160	133	123	109	100	100	98	98	95	96	89	88	86	83
Thu	142	159	162	147	129	125	109	104	101	97	99	96	96	89	88	87	84
Fri	118	136	126	122	120	118	108	104	105	106	111	110	102	96	93	91	83
Sat	87	90	89	92	102	122	120	125	121	110	110	108	99	90	86	96	94
Sun	83	84	83	86	88	109	115	108	100	93	90	88	88	89	89	87	83

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	141	178	183	162	142	130	112	100	97	96	95	94	90	88	86	85	86
Tue	140	175	173	161	141	128	111	100	98	98	103	98	96	96	95	89	84
Wed	147	161	169	160	133	123	109	100	100	98	98	95	96	89	88	86	83
Thu	142	159	162	147	129	125	109	104	101	97	99	96	96	89	88	87	84
Fri	118	136	126	122	120	118	108	104	105	106	111	110	102	96	93	91	83
Sat	87	90	89	92	102	122	120	125	121	110	110	108	99	90	86	96	94
Sun	83	84	83	86	88	109	115	108	100	93	90	88	88	89	89	87	83