Best Time to Drive from El Cajon to Santa Monica

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 162 minutes via I-5 North and I-405 North, usually 129 at this time.

Only 45% 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 El Cajon 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	157	165	158	156	148	142	142	140	140	139	150	152	139	129	129	127	127
Tue	197	205	184	170	163	147	144	139	139	140	161	171	153	136	128	125	125
Wed	191	212	190	167	159	147	142	141	143	147	166	173	158	141	132	125	123
Thu	188	199	174	164	159	145	143	138	141	145	165	167	155	137	129	125	123
Fri	186	184	158	154	157	159	151	149	154	157	161	164	145	137	131	126	123
Sat	124	125	131	140	148	154	164	169	162	155	150	141	139	134	130	125	123
Sun	123	125	125	126	133	149	165	171	170	154	143	139	138	137	133	125	122

About this drive

On weekdays the 140-mile drive from El Cajon to Santa Monica (via I-5 North and I-405 North) usually takes as little as 123 minutes and up to 212 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 143 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (174 minutes).

About 139 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.3 miles surface streets (about 1 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central El Cajon 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 El Cajon to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 123 minutes then, versus up to 212 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from El Cajon to Santa Monica?

The 140-mile drive usually takes 123 to 212 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 143 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from El Cajon to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 5:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 212 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in San Diego (40 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (27 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) · SR-52 West in San Diego (13 miles)

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

More drives

El Cajon to San Diego · El Cajon to Escondido · El Cajon to Oceanside · El Cajon to Chula Vista · El Cajon to Carlsbad · El Cajon to SAN · El Cajon to La Jolla · El Cajon to Temecula · El Cajon to Murrieta · El Cajon to Vista · El Cajon to Mission Viejo · El Cajon to San Marcos

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	157	165	158	156	148	142	142	140	140	139	150	152	139	129	129	127	127
Tue	197	205	184	170	163	147	144	139	139	140	161	171	153	136	128	125	125
Wed	191	212	190	167	159	147	142	141	143	147	166	173	158	141	132	125	123
Thu	188	199	174	164	159	145	143	138	141	145	165	167	155	137	129	125	123
Fri	186	184	158	154	157	159	151	149	154	157	161	164	145	137	131	126	123
Sat	124	125	131	140	148	154	164	169	162	155	150	141	139	134	130	125	123
Sun	123	125	125	126	133	149	165	171	170	154	143	139	138	137	133	125	122

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	157	165	158	156	148	142	142	140	140	139	150	152	139	129	129	127	127
Tue	197	205	184	170	163	147	144	139	139	140	161	171	153	136	128	125	125
Wed	191	212	190	167	159	147	142	141	143	147	166	173	158	141	132	125	123
Thu	188	199	174	164	159	145	143	138	141	145	165	167	155	137	129	125	123
Fri	186	184	158	154	157	159	151	149	154	157	161	164	145	137	131	126	123
Sat	124	125	131	140	148	154	164	169	162	155	150	141	139	134	130	125	123
Sun	123	125	125	126	133	149	165	171	170	154	143	139	138	137	133	125	122

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	157	165	158	156	148	142	142	140	140	139	150	152	139	129	129	127	127
Tue	197	205	184	170	163	147	144	139	139	140	161	171	153	136	128	125	125
Wed	191	212	190	167	159	147	142	141	143	147	166	173	158	141	132	125	123
Thu	188	199	174	164	159	145	143	138	141	145	165	167	155	137	129	125	123
Fri	186	184	158	154	157	159	151	149	154	157	161	164	145	137	131	126	123
Sat	124	125	131	140	148	154	164	169	162	155	150	141	139	134	130	125	123
Sun	123	125	125	126	133	149	165	171	170	154	143	139	138	137	133	125	122