Best Time to Drive from Long Beach to Santa Monica

Right now (2:36 am PST): about 28 minutes via I-405 North.

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 Long 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	27	39	63	58	55	50	42	39	38	34	36	30	32	32	29	30	28
Tue	27	52	120	108	83	70	59	42	41	37	35	35	39	40	31	30	28
Wed	27	52	127	119	88	69	55	45	42	38	39	38	40	42	31	31	28
Thu	27	52	112	99	73	70	55	46	40	40	38	37	41	39	32	30	28
Fri	26	52	103	79	58	50	60	53	46	44	40	36	29	30	31	30	28
Sat	29	29	29	31	33	42	49	47	54	55	48	45	43	36	39	33	29
Sun	29	29	30	29	30	32	38	45	60	59	55	42	40	36	35	34	29

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Long Beach to Santa Monica (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 128 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 45 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (63 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.7 miles surface streets (3 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Long Beach (Pacific 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 Long Beach to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 128 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 26 to 128 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 45 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Long Beach to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 128 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (22 miles) · I-710 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 Long Beach (return trip) · Long Beach to Los Angeles · Long Beach to Pasadena · Long Beach to West Covina · Long Beach to Burbank · Long Beach to Glendale · Long Beach to Santa Clarita · Long Beach to Van Nuys · Long Beach to LAX · Long Beach to Hollywood · Long Beach to Culver City · Long Beach to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	39	63	58	55	50	42	39	38	34	36	30	32	32	29	30	28
Tue	27	52	120	108	83	70	59	42	41	37	35	35	39	40	31	30	28
Wed	27	52	127	119	88	69	55	45	42	38	39	38	40	42	31	31	28
Thu	27	52	112	99	73	70	55	46	40	40	38	37	41	39	32	30	28
Fri	26	52	103	79	58	50	60	53	46	44	40	36	29	30	31	30	28
Sat	29	29	29	31	33	42	49	47	54	55	48	45	43	36	39	33	29
Sun	29	29	30	29	30	32	38	45	60	59	55	42	40	36	35	34	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	39	63	58	55	50	42	39	38	34	36	30	32	32	29	30	28
Tue	27	52	120	108	83	70	59	42	41	37	35	35	39	40	31	30	28
Wed	27	52	127	119	88	69	55	45	42	38	39	38	40	42	31	31	28
Thu	27	52	112	99	73	70	55	46	40	40	38	37	41	39	32	30	28
Fri	26	52	103	79	58	50	60	53	46	44	40	36	29	30	31	30	28
Sat	29	29	29	31	33	42	49	47	54	55	48	45	43	36	39	33	29
Sun	29	29	30	29	30	32	38	45	60	59	55	42	40	36	35	34	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	39	63	58	55	50	42	39	38	34	36	30	32	32	29	30	28
Tue	27	52	120	108	83	70	59	42	41	37	35	35	39	40	31	30	28
Wed	27	52	127	119	88	69	55	45	42	38	39	38	40	42	31	31	28
Thu	27	52	112	99	73	70	55	46	40	40	38	37	41	39	32	30	28
Fri	26	52	103	79	58	50	60	53	46	44	40	36	29	30	31	30	28
Sat	29	29	29	31	33	42	49	47	54	55	48	45	43	36	39	33	29
Sun	29	29	30	29	30	32	38	45	60	59	55	42	40	36	35	34	29