Best Time to Drive from Laguna Beach to Santa Monica

Right now (8:20 pm PST): about 58 minutes via I-405 North and SR-73 North, usually 59 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 Laguna 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	57	79	89	82	80	75	68	69	69	67	69	73	82	67	60	61	58
Tue	57	122	140	120	100	91	78	72	68	67	70	78	87	74	62	59	57
Wed	57	114	150	128	101	90	78	73	71	73	75	82	89	74	65	62	57
Thu	58	113	136	111	94	91	75	73	67	71	72	81	80	69	61	59	57
Fri	57	110	120	90	83	79	85	79	77	79	77	71	75	72	66	63	57
Sat	57	58	58	62	67	73	79	79	84	81	77	77	69	68	66	63	57
Sun	57	57	59	59	59	65	73	75	90	84	81	70	69	68	67	67	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 62-mile drive from Laguna Beach to Santa Monica (via I-405 North and SR-73 North) usually takes as little as 57 minutes and up to 150 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 72 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (90 minutes).

About 57 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (6 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Laguna Beach 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 Laguna Beach to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 57 minutes then, versus up to 150 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 62-mile drive usually takes 57 to 150 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 72 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Laguna Beach to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 150 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (12 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

Laguna Beach to Los Angeles · Laguna Beach to San Diego · Laguna Beach to Anaheim · Laguna Beach to Riverside · Laguna Beach to Santa Ana · Laguna Beach to Irvine · Laguna Beach to San Bernardino · Laguna Beach to Fontana · Laguna Beach to Moreno Valley · Laguna Beach to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	79	89	82	80	75	68	69	69	67	69	73	82	67	60	61	58
Tue	57	122	140	120	100	91	78	72	68	67	70	78	87	74	62	59	57
Wed	57	114	150	128	101	90	78	73	71	73	75	82	89	74	65	62	57
Thu	58	113	136	111	94	91	75	73	67	71	72	81	80	69	61	59	57
Fri	57	110	120	90	83	79	85	79	77	79	77	71	75	72	66	63	57
Sat	57	58	58	62	67	73	79	79	84	81	77	77	69	68	66	63	57
Sun	57	57	59	59	59	65	73	75	90	84	81	70	69	68	67	67	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	79	89	82	80	75	68	69	69	67	69	73	82	67	60	61	58
Tue	57	122	140	120	100	91	78	72	68	67	70	78	87	74	62	59	57
Wed	57	114	150	128	101	90	78	73	71	73	75	82	89	74	65	62	57
Thu	58	113	136	111	94	91	75	73	67	71	72	81	80	69	61	59	57
Fri	57	110	120	90	83	79	85	79	77	79	77	71	75	72	66	63	57
Sat	57	58	58	62	67	73	79	79	84	81	77	77	69	68	66	63	57
Sun	57	57	59	59	59	65	73	75	90	84	81	70	69	68	67	67	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	57	79	89	82	80	75	68	69	69	67	69	73	82	67	60	61	58
Tue	57	122	140	120	100	91	78	72	68	67	70	78	87	74	62	59	57
Wed	57	114	150	128	101	90	78	73	71	73	75	82	89	74	65	62	57
Thu	58	113	136	111	94	91	75	73	67	71	72	81	80	69	61	59	57
Fri	57	110	120	90	83	79	85	79	77	79	77	71	75	72	66	63	57
Sat	57	58	58	62	67	73	79	79	84	81	77	77	69	68	66	63	57
Sun	57	57	59	59	59	65	73	75	90	84	81	70	69	68	67	67	58