Best Time to Drive from Huntington Beach to Santa Monica

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 61 minutes via I-405 North, usually 72 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.

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	48	73	93	83	80	75	65	66	64	59	56	55	58	55	53	53	49
Tue	48	120	158	133	108	97	79	68	63	59	59	60	67	63	53	53	51
Wed	48	116	168	141	111	95	79	71	68	67	64	65	70	62	57	58	51
Thu	48	112	149	124	100	96	76	71	61	63	60	64	69	60	55	53	49
Fri	48	106	129	97	85	76	87	78	72	69	60	55	52	57	54	52	49
Sat	49	52	52	55	59	66	76	73	82	79	71	71	64	61	61	57	49
Sun	50	50	52	51	52	57	67	70	92	84	80	62	64	61	57	56	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from Huntington Beach to Santa Monica (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 168 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 69 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (92 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 12 miles surface streets (19 to 27 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Huntington Beach (Orange 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 Huntington Beach to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 168 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 46-mile drive usually takes 48 to 168 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 69 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Huntington Beach to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 168 minutes.

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

Huntington Beach to Santa Monica over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

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	48	73	93	83	80	75	65	66	64	59	56	55	58	55	53	53	49
Tue	48	120	158	133	108	97	79	68	63	59	59	60	67	63	53	53	51
Wed	48	116	168	141	111	95	79	71	68	67	64	65	70	62	57	58	51
Thu	48	112	149	124	100	96	76	71	61	63	60	64	69	60	55	53	49
Fri	48	106	129	97	85	76	87	78	72	69	60	55	52	57	54	52	49
Sat	49	52	52	55	59	66	76	73	82	79	71	71	64	61	61	57	49
Sun	50	50	52	51	52	57	67	70	92	84	80	62	64	61	57	56	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	73	93	83	80	75	65	66	64	59	56	55	58	55	53	53	49
Tue	48	120	158	133	108	97	79	68	63	59	59	60	67	63	53	53	51
Wed	48	116	168	141	111	95	79	71	68	67	64	65	70	62	57	58	51
Thu	48	112	149	124	100	96	76	71	61	63	60	64	69	60	55	53	49
Fri	48	106	129	97	85	76	87	78	72	69	60	55	52	57	54	52	49
Sat	49	52	52	55	59	66	76	73	82	79	71	71	64	61	61	57	49
Sun	50	50	52	51	52	57	67	70	92	84	80	62	64	61	57	56	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	73	93	83	80	75	65	66	64	59	56	55	58	55	53	53	49
Tue	48	120	158	133	108	97	79	68	63	59	59	60	67	63	53	53	51
Wed	48	116	168	141	111	95	79	71	68	67	64	65	70	62	57	58	51
Thu	48	112	149	124	100	96	76	71	61	63	60	64	69	60	55	53	49
Fri	48	106	129	97	85	76	87	78	72	69	60	55	52	57	54	52	49
Sat	49	52	52	55	59	66	76	73	82	79	71	71	64	61	61	57	49
Sun	50	50	52	51	52	57	67	70	92	84	80	62	64	61	57	56	49