Best Time to Drive from Fountain Valley to Santa Monica

Right now (6:20 pm PDT): about 58 minutes via I-405 North, usually 46 at this time.

Only 5% 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 Fountain Valley 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	37	65	110	97	88	77	64	61	58	49	48	44	47	45	42	42	39
Tue	37	93	170	145	117	98	77	59	55	48	46	45	53	54	42	41	39
Wed	38	91	180	154	120	94	75	63	57	51	50	50	51	53	41	42	38
Thu	37	94	155	130	103	95	73	63	53	51	48	50	53	48	41	41	38
Fri	37	88	137	107	86	74	91	78	66	59	51	45	39	42	42	42	39
Sat	40	41	41	43	48	60	76	71	86	84	72	65	59	51	53	46	39
Sun	40	39	42	41	42	44	57	67	92	91	81	54	50	45	47	48	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Fountain Valley to Santa Monica (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 180 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 62 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (93 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.8 miles surface streets (1 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 180 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Fountain Valley to Santa Monica?

The 44-mile drive usually takes 37 to 180 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 62 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fountain Valley to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 180 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (13 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to Fountain Valley (return trip) · Fountain Valley to Los Angeles · Fountain Valley to Long Beach · Fountain Valley to Anaheim · Fountain Valley to Riverside · Fountain Valley to Irvine · Fountain Valley to San Bernardino · Fountain Valley to Fontana · Fountain Valley to Moreno Valley · Fountain Valley to Glendale · Fountain Valley to Santa Clarita · Fountain Valley to Oceanside

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	65	110	97	88	77	64	61	58	49	48	44	47	45	42	42	39
Tue	37	93	170	145	117	98	77	59	55	48	46	45	53	54	42	41	39
Wed	38	91	180	154	120	94	75	63	57	51	50	50	51	53	41	42	38
Thu	37	94	155	130	103	95	73	63	53	51	48	50	53	48	41	41	38
Fri	37	88	137	107	86	74	91	78	66	59	51	45	39	42	42	42	39
Sat	40	41	41	43	48	60	76	71	86	84	72	65	59	51	53	46	39
Sun	40	39	42	41	42	44	57	67	92	91	81	54	50	45	47	48	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	65	110	97	88	77	64	61	58	49	48	44	47	45	42	42	39
Tue	37	93	170	145	117	98	77	59	55	48	46	45	53	54	42	41	39
Wed	38	91	180	154	120	94	75	63	57	51	50	50	51	53	41	42	38
Thu	37	94	155	130	103	95	73	63	53	51	48	50	53	48	41	41	38
Fri	37	88	137	107	86	74	91	78	66	59	51	45	39	42	42	42	39
Sat	40	41	41	43	48	60	76	71	86	84	72	65	59	51	53	46	39
Sun	40	39	42	41	42	44	57	67	92	91	81	54	50	45	47	48	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	65	110	97	88	77	64	61	58	49	48	44	47	45	42	42	39
Tue	37	93	170	145	117	98	77	59	55	48	46	45	53	54	42	41	39
Wed	38	91	180	154	120	94	75	63	57	51	50	50	51	53	41	42	38
Thu	37	94	155	130	103	95	73	63	53	51	48	50	53	48	41	41	38
Fri	37	88	137	107	86	74	91	78	66	59	51	45	39	42	42	42	39
Sat	40	41	41	43	48	60	76	71	86	84	72	65	59	51	53	46	39
Sun	40	39	42	41	42	44	57	67	92	91	81	54	50	45	47	48	39