Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from LAX to Santa Monica
Right now (12:50 am PDT): about 17 minutes via I-405 North and I-10 West.
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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 17 | 20 | 30 | 37 | 35 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 17 |
| Tue | 17 | 21 | 34 | 39 | 38 | 34 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 24 | 19 | 17 |
| Wed | 17 | 21 | 33 | 39 | 39 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 26 | 21 | 18 |
| Thu | 17 | 21 | 34 | 40 | 38 | 35 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 26 | 23 | 18 |
| Fri | 17 | 21 | 31 | 38 | 36 | 34 | 34 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 36 | 32 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 23 | 19 |
| Sat | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 34 | 36 | 37 | 35 | 33 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 21 | 18 |
| Sun | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 27 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 18 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 12-mile drive from LAX to Santa Monica (via I-405 North and I-10 West) usually takes as little as 17 minutes and up to 40 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 31 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).
About 7 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (10 to 25 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 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 LAX to Santa Monica?
On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 17 minutes then, versus up to 40 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from LAX to Santa Monica?
The 12-mile drive usually takes 17 to 40 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 31 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from LAX to Santa Monica?
Leaving around 8 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 40 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-405 North in Los Angeles (4 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)
Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow
More drives
Santa Monica to LAX (return trip) · LAX to Los Angeles · LAX to Pasadena · LAX to Long Beach · LAX to West Covina · LAX to Burbank · LAX to Glendale · LAX to Santa Clarita · LAX to Van Nuys · LAX to El Monte · LAX to Downey · LAX to Whittier