Best Time to Drive from Downey to Santa Monica

Right now (11:03 am PDT): about 33 minutes via I-10 West, usually 47 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

Minutes from Downey 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	27	49	66	71	54	41	38	36	35	35	33	31	33	31	28	26	26
Tue	26	52	69	78	63	51	39	35	33	33	33	31	29	29	29	27	26
Wed	27	50	74	78	62	47	39	35	32	31	32	30	28	28	28	27	26
Thu	26	46	68	76	61	47	44	38	35	34	35	32	31	31	31	29	28
Fri	27	44	50	54	45	40	40	40	42	40	38	35	32	34	34	31	28
Sat	26	27	31	31	34	44	47	45	42	38	34	35	35	34	35	31	29
Sun	26	25	26	26	28	32	32	38	39	38	37	38	38	41	40	38	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 27-mile drive from Downey to Santa Monica (via I-10 West) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 79 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11:30 am on Saturdays (48 minutes).

About 23 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Downey (Downey 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 Downey to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 79 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 27-mile drive usually takes 26 to 79 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Downey to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 79 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-710 North in Los Angeles (4 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (2 miles) · SR-60 West in Los Angeles (1.7 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to Downey (return trip) · Downey to Los Angeles · Downey to Long Beach · Downey to West Covina · Downey to Burbank · Downey to Glendale · Downey to Santa Clarita · Downey to Van Nuys · Downey to LAX · Downey to Hollywood · Downey to Culver City · Downey to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	49	66	71	54	41	38	36	35	35	33	31	33	31	28	26	26
Tue	26	52	69	78	63	51	39	35	33	33	33	31	29	29	29	27	26
Wed	27	50	74	78	62	47	39	35	32	31	32	30	28	28	28	27	26
Thu	26	46	68	76	61	47	44	38	35	34	35	32	31	31	31	29	28
Fri	27	44	50	54	45	40	40	40	42	40	38	35	32	34	34	31	28
Sat	26	27	31	31	34	44	47	45	42	38	34	35	35	34	35	31	29
Sun	26	25	26	26	28	32	32	38	39	38	37	38	38	41	40	38	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	49	66	71	54	41	38	36	35	35	33	31	33	31	28	26	26
Tue	26	52	69	78	63	51	39	35	33	33	33	31	29	29	29	27	26
Wed	27	50	74	78	62	47	39	35	32	31	32	30	28	28	28	27	26
Thu	26	46	68	76	61	47	44	38	35	34	35	32	31	31	31	29	28
Fri	27	44	50	54	45	40	40	40	42	40	38	35	32	34	34	31	28
Sat	26	27	31	31	34	44	47	45	42	38	34	35	35	34	35	31	29
Sun	26	25	26	26	28	32	32	38	39	38	37	38	38	41	40	38	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	49	66	71	54	41	38	36	35	35	33	31	33	31	28	26	26
Tue	26	52	69	78	63	51	39	35	33	33	33	31	29	29	29	27	26
Wed	27	50	74	78	62	47	39	35	32	31	32	30	28	28	28	27	26
Thu	26	46	68	76	61	47	44	38	35	34	35	32	31	31	31	29	28
Fri	27	44	50	54	45	40	40	40	42	40	38	35	32	34	34	31	28
Sat	26	27	31	31	34	44	47	45	42	38	34	35	35	34	35	31	29
Sun	26	25	26	26	28	32	32	38	39	38	37	38	38	41	40	38	31