Best Time to Drive from Fullerton to Santa Monica

Right now (7:51 pm PST): about 41 minutes via I-5 North and I-10 West, usually 40 at this time.

Only 19% 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 Fullerton 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	38	53	64	70	58	48	46	46	45	45	46	44	44	42	39	38	37
Tue	37	56	73	75	60	51	47	45	44	45	45	45	45	43	41	38	37
Wed	38	52	67	70	59	49	46	45	44	42	47	46	47	44	40	38	37
Thu	37	52	67	70	59	52	49	46	45	45	49	50	49	44	42	40	38
Fri	37	52	52	54	49	47	48	48	50	50	52	51	52	51	45	40	38
Sat	37	38	40	41	43	47	50	48	46	45	44	46	45	43	43	41	39
Sun	37	37	37	37	39	41	42	46	45	46	45	45	45	48	48	45	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Fullerton to Santa Monica (via I-5 North and I-10 West) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 80 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (50 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 12 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Fullerton 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 Fullerton to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 80 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 37 to 80 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Fullerton to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 80 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (10 miles)

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

More drives

Santa Monica to Fullerton (return trip) · Fullerton to Los Angeles · Fullerton to Long Beach · Fullerton to Riverside · Fullerton to Santa Ana · Fullerton to Irvine · Fullerton to San Bernardino · Fullerton to Huntington Beach · Fullerton to Glendale · Fullerton to Santa Clarita · Fullerton to Rancho Cucamonga · Fullerton to Ontario

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	53	64	70	58	48	46	46	45	45	46	44	44	42	39	38	37
Tue	37	56	73	75	60	51	47	45	44	45	45	45	45	43	41	38	37
Wed	38	52	67	70	59	49	46	45	44	42	47	46	47	44	40	38	37
Thu	37	52	67	70	59	52	49	46	45	45	49	50	49	44	42	40	38
Fri	37	52	52	54	49	47	48	48	50	50	52	51	52	51	45	40	38
Sat	37	38	40	41	43	47	50	48	46	45	44	46	45	43	43	41	39
Sun	37	37	37	37	39	41	42	46	45	46	45	45	45	48	48	45	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	53	64	70	58	48	46	46	45	45	46	44	44	42	39	38	37
Tue	37	56	73	75	60	51	47	45	44	45	45	45	45	43	41	38	37
Wed	38	52	67	70	59	49	46	45	44	42	47	46	47	44	40	38	37
Thu	37	52	67	70	59	52	49	46	45	45	49	50	49	44	42	40	38
Fri	37	52	52	54	49	47	48	48	50	50	52	51	52	51	45	40	38
Sat	37	38	40	41	43	47	50	48	46	45	44	46	45	43	43	41	39
Sun	37	37	37	37	39	41	42	46	45	46	45	45	45	48	48	45	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	53	64	70	58	48	46	46	45	45	46	44	44	42	39	38	37
Tue	37	56	73	75	60	51	47	45	44	45	45	45	45	43	41	38	37
Wed	38	52	67	70	59	49	46	45	44	42	47	46	47	44	40	38	37
Thu	37	52	67	70	59	52	49	46	45	45	49	50	49	44	42	40	38
Fri	37	52	52	54	49	47	48	48	50	50	52	51	52	51	45	40	38
Sat	37	38	40	41	43	47	50	48	46	45	44	46	45	43	43	41	39
Sun	37	37	37	37	39	41	42	46	45	46	45	45	45	48	48	45	39