Best Time to Drive from Carson to Santa Monica

Right now (5:34 pm PDT): about 27 minutes via I-405 North, usually 27 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 Carson 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	21	27	36	39	36	31	28	27	27	26	26	26	25	24	22	22	21
Tue	21	28	45	48	42	35	30	28	27	26	26	26	27	26	23	22	21
Wed	21	29	45	50	45	37	32	29	27	27	27	27	28	27	23	22	21
Thu	21	29	45	48	42	36	31	29	28	28	29	29	29	28	23	22	21
Fri	21	26	37	40	35	32	33	32	31	32	30	28	26	25	23	22	21
Sat	21	21	22	22	24	27	30	32	33	33	32	29	28	26	25	23	21
Sun	21	21	21	21	22	23	26	28	31	31	30	28	26	25	24	24	22

About this drive

On weekdays the 23-mile drive from Carson to Santa Monica (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 21 minutes and up to 50 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 29 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (34 minutes).

About 22 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.3 miles surface streets (2 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Carson 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 Carson to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 21 minutes then, versus up to 50 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 23-mile drive usually takes 21 to 50 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 29 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Carson to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 50 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (17 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles) · I-110 North in Los Angeles (1.9 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	27	36	39	36	31	28	27	27	26	26	26	25	24	22	22	21
Tue	21	28	45	48	42	35	30	28	27	26	26	26	27	26	23	22	21
Wed	21	29	45	50	45	37	32	29	27	27	27	27	28	27	23	22	21
Thu	21	29	45	48	42	36	31	29	28	28	29	29	29	28	23	22	21
Fri	21	26	37	40	35	32	33	32	31	32	30	28	26	25	23	22	21
Sat	21	21	22	22	24	27	30	32	33	33	32	29	28	26	25	23	21
Sun	21	21	21	21	22	23	26	28	31	31	30	28	26	25	24	24	22

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	27	36	39	36	31	28	27	27	26	26	26	25	24	22	22	21
Tue	21	28	45	48	42	35	30	28	27	26	26	26	27	26	23	22	21
Wed	21	29	45	50	45	37	32	29	27	27	27	27	28	27	23	22	21
Thu	21	29	45	48	42	36	31	29	28	28	29	29	29	28	23	22	21
Fri	21	26	37	40	35	32	33	32	31	32	30	28	26	25	23	22	21
Sat	21	21	22	22	24	27	30	32	33	33	32	29	28	26	25	23	21
Sun	21	21	21	21	22	23	26	28	31	31	30	28	26	25	24	24	22

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	27	36	39	36	31	28	27	27	26	26	26	25	24	22	22	21
Tue	21	28	45	48	42	35	30	28	27	26	26	26	27	26	23	22	21
Wed	21	29	45	50	45	37	32	29	27	27	27	27	28	27	23	22	21
Thu	21	29	45	48	42	36	31	29	28	28	29	29	29	28	23	22	21
Fri	21	26	37	40	35	32	33	32	31	32	30	28	26	25	23	22	21
Sat	21	21	22	22	24	27	30	32	33	33	32	29	28	26	25	23	21
Sun	21	21	21	21	22	23	26	28	31	31	30	28	26	25	24	24	22