Best Time to Drive from Huntington Beach to Santa Monica

Right now (9:35 am PDT): about 83 minutes via I-405 North, usually 71 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.

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from Huntington Beach to Santa Monica (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 49 minutes and up to 88 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 59 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (70 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Santa Monica to Huntington Beach

Freeway, about 34 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 12 miles: 19 to 31 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from central Huntington Beach (Orange Avenue) to downtown Santa Monica along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Huntington Beach 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	50	62	73	71	65	60	57	57	56	56	56	58	59	55	51	50	49
Tue	50	67	85	83	72	64	59	57	56	56	59	62	65	58	52	50	49
Wed	50	68	87	85	76	66	61	58	57	58	60	64	66	60	53	51	49
Thu	50	67	83	81	72	65	61	59	58	59	62	66	68	62	53	50	49
Fri	50	61	70	69	65	63	64	64	63	65	66	68	68	64	56	51	49
Sat	49	50	50	51	54	59	64	68	70	69	67	68	66	63	56	52	49
Sun	49	49	49	50	51	54	58	60	64	64	62	58	57	55	54	53	50

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 Huntington Beach to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 49 minutes then, versus up to 88 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Huntington Beach to Santa Monica?

The 46-mile drive usually takes 49 to 88 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 59 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Huntington Beach to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 88 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (4 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 Huntington Beach (return trip) · Huntington Beach to Los Angeles · Huntington Beach to West Covina · Huntington Beach to Burbank · Huntington Beach to Glendale · Huntington Beach to Santa Clarita · Huntington Beach to Van Nuys · Huntington Beach to LAX · Huntington Beach to Hollywood · Huntington Beach to Culver City · Huntington Beach to El Monte · Huntington Beach to Thousand Oaks

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	62	73	71	65	60	57	57	56	56	56	58	59	55	51	50	49
Tue	50	67	85	83	72	64	59	57	56	56	59	62	65	58	52	50	49
Wed	50	68	87	85	76	66	61	58	57	58	60	64	66	60	53	51	49
Thu	50	67	83	81	72	65	61	59	58	59	62	66	68	62	53	50	49
Fri	50	61	70	69	65	63	64	64	63	65	66	68	68	64	56	51	49
Sat	49	50	50	51	54	59	64	68	70	69	67	68	66	63	56	52	49
Sun	49	49	49	50	51	54	58	60	64	64	62	58	57	55	54	53	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	62	73	71	65	60	57	57	56	56	56	58	59	55	51	50	49
Tue	50	67	85	83	72	64	59	57	56	56	59	62	65	58	52	50	49
Wed	50	68	87	85	76	66	61	58	57	58	60	64	66	60	53	51	49
Thu	50	67	83	81	72	65	61	59	58	59	62	66	68	62	53	50	49
Fri	50	61	70	69	65	63	64	64	63	65	66	68	68	64	56	51	49
Sat	49	50	50	51	54	59	64	68	70	69	67	68	66	63	56	52	49
Sun	49	49	49	50	51	54	58	60	64	64	62	58	57	55	54	53	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	62	73	71	65	60	57	57	56	56	56	58	59	55	51	50	49
Tue	50	67	85	83	72	64	59	57	56	56	59	62	65	58	52	50	49
Wed	50	68	87	85	76	66	61	58	57	58	60	64	66	60	53	51	49
Thu	50	67	83	81	72	65	61	59	58	59	62	66	68	62	53	50	49
Fri	50	61	70	69	65	63	64	64	63	65	66	68	68	64	56	51	49
Sat	49	50	50	51	54	59	64	68	70	69	67	68	66	63	56	52	49
Sun	49	49	49	50	51	54	58	60	64	64	62	58	57	55	54	53	50