Best Time to Drive from Carlsbad to Santa Monica

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 88 minutes via I-405 North and I-5 North.

Only 38% 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 Carlsbad 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	97	120	116	114	110	103	102	102	98	101	101	111	111	95	92	91	89
Tue	108	173	164	140	129	120	105	104	101	103	107	121	118	101	93	90	88
Wed	109	179	173	145	128	117	108	106	103	108	113	124	117	100	96	93	88
Thu	109	165	155	131	129	116	110	103	108	107	116	125	119	103	96	90	88
Fri	110	158	137	117	112	123	115	111	114	116	114	116	119	105	98	92	88
Sat	88	89	91	93	102	111	116	127	125	117	114	110	104	104	99	92	88
Sun	88	90	89	90	93	100	113	136	132	129	113	111	106	102	101	95	90

About this drive

On weekdays the 100-mile drive from Carlsbad to Santa Monica (via I-405 North and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 88 minutes and up to 183 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 106 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Sundays (136 minutes).

About 98 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.5 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 88 minutes then, versus up to 183 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 100-mile drive usually takes 88 to 183 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 106 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carlsbad to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 183 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-5 North in San Diego (21 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Carlsbad to San Diego · Carlsbad to Escondido · Carlsbad to Chula Vista · Carlsbad to La Jolla · Carlsbad to El Cajon · Carlsbad to SAN · Carlsbad to Long Beach · Carlsbad to Anaheim · Carlsbad to Riverside · Carlsbad to Santa Ana · Carlsbad to Irvine · Carlsbad to San Bernardino

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	97	120	116	114	110	103	102	102	98	101	101	111	111	95	92	91	89
Tue	108	173	164	140	129	120	105	104	101	103	107	121	118	101	93	90	88
Wed	109	179	173	145	128	117	108	106	103	108	113	124	117	100	96	93	88
Thu	109	165	155	131	129	116	110	103	108	107	116	125	119	103	96	90	88
Fri	110	158	137	117	112	123	115	111	114	116	114	116	119	105	98	92	88
Sat	88	89	91	93	102	111	116	127	125	117	114	110	104	104	99	92	88
Sun	88	90	89	90	93	100	113	136	132	129	113	111	106	102	101	95	90

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	97	120	116	114	110	103	102	102	98	101	101	111	111	95	92	91	89
Tue	108	173	164	140	129	120	105	104	101	103	107	121	118	101	93	90	88
Wed	109	179	173	145	128	117	108	106	103	108	113	124	117	100	96	93	88
Thu	109	165	155	131	129	116	110	103	108	107	116	125	119	103	96	90	88
Fri	110	158	137	117	112	123	115	111	114	116	114	116	119	105	98	92	88
Sat	88	89	91	93	102	111	116	127	125	117	114	110	104	104	99	92	88
Sun	88	90	89	90	93	100	113	136	132	129	113	111	106	102	101	95	90

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	97	120	116	114	110	103	102	102	98	101	101	111	111	95	92	91	89
Tue	108	173	164	140	129	120	105	104	101	103	107	121	118	101	93	90	88
Wed	109	179	173	145	128	117	108	106	103	108	113	124	117	100	96	93	88
Thu	109	165	155	131	129	116	110	103	108	107	116	125	119	103	96	90	88
Fri	110	158	137	117	112	123	115	111	114	116	114	116	119	105	98	92	88
Sat	88	89	91	93	102	111	116	127	125	117	114	110	104	104	99	92	88
Sun	88	90	89	90	93	100	113	136	132	129	113	111	106	102	101	95	90