Traffic Predict
Irvine to Santa Monica: Thanksgiving Traffic 2026
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 25), the drive from Irvine to Santa Monica is longest leaving around 7 am: about 113 minutes, 16 minutes less than on a normal Wednesday. Leave around 12 pm (68 minutes) or 9 pm (48 minutes) instead. Coming back on Sunday, November 29, the slowest time to leave is around 1 pm (76 minutes); around 6 am it takes 47 minutes.
Day by day
- Tuesday, November 24: fastest leaving around 8 pm (52 minutes), slowest around 7 am (112 minutes, 8 minutes less than a normal Tuesday).
- Wednesday, November 25: fastest leaving around 6:30 pm (51 minutes), slowest around 7 am (113 minutes, 16 minutes less than a normal Wednesday).
- Thursday, November 26: fastest leaving around 6:30 pm (46 minutes), slowest around 7 am (92 minutes, 23 minutes less than a normal Thursday).
- Friday, November 27: fastest leaving around 5:30 pm (43 minutes), slowest around 7 am (87 minutes, 18 minutes less than a normal Friday).
- Saturday, November 28: fastest leaving around 6:30 am (47 minutes), slowest around 1 pm (72 minutes, 4 minutes less than a normal Saturday).
- Sunday, November 29: fastest leaving around 6 am (47 minutes), slowest around 1 pm (76 minutes, about like a normal Sunday).
Drive time by departure
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue Nov 24 | 45 | 83 | 112 | 103 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 67 | 63 | 61 | 61 | 63 | 72 | 66 | 55 | 52 | 48 |
| Wed Nov 25 | 45 | 75 | 113 | 107 | 86 | 82 | 73 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 65 | 63 | 62 | 57 | 53 | 58 | 48 |
| Thu Nov 26 | 42 | 67 | 92 | 82 | 64 | 68 | 59 | 58 | 52 | 52 | 47 | 51 | 53 | 49 | 48 | 50 | 47 |
| Fri Nov 27 | 43 | 70 | 87 | 71 | 65 | 61 | 72 | 64 | 58 | 54 | 48 | 46 | 44 | 44 | 46 | 49 | 45 |
| Sat Nov 28 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 51 | 54 | 60 | 69 | 66 | 72 | 71 | 63 | 60 | 56 | 53 | 56 | 54 | 46 |
| Sun Nov 29 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 53 | 62 | 63 | 76 | 74 | 68 | 53 | 53 | 51 | 53 | 53 | 46 |
Minutes for the 52-mile drive, streets included (hover a cell for a normal day). Estimated from this trip's typical speeds and how much each freeway on it sped up or slowed down on past Thanksgivings (2016 onward, leaving out 2020), hour by hour. A crash or storm can change any single day.
Irvine to Santa Monica on a normal day →
Thanksgiving traffic across California · Traffic estimator
Questions
What is the worst time to drive from Irvine to Santa Monica for Thanksgiving?
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (November 25), the drive from Irvine to Santa Monica is longest leaving around 7 am: about 113 minutes, 16 minutes less than on a normal Wednesday. Leave around 12 pm (68 minutes) or 9 pm (48 minutes) instead. Coming back on Sunday, November 29, the slowest time to leave is around 1 pm (76 minutes); around 6 am it takes 47 minutes.
How long does the drive from Irvine to Santa Monica take over Thanksgiving?
Tuesday, November 24: fastest leaving around 8 pm (52 minutes), slowest around 7 am (112 minutes, 8 minutes less than a normal Tuesday). Wednesday, November 25: fastest leaving around 6:30 pm (51 minutes), slowest around 7 am (113 minutes, 16 minutes less than a normal Wednesday). Thursday, November 26: fastest leaving around 6:30 pm (46 minutes), slowest around 7 am (92 minutes, 23 minutes less than a normal Thursday). Friday, November 27: fastest leaving around 5:30 pm (43 minutes), slowest around 7 am (87 minutes, 18 minutes less than a normal Friday). Saturday, November 28: fastest leaving around 6:30 am (47 minutes), slowest around 1 pm (72 minutes, 4 minutes less than a normal Saturday). Sunday, November 29: fastest leaving around 6 am (47 minutes), slowest around 1 pm (76 minutes, about like a normal Sunday).