Best Time to Drive from Long Beach to Santa Monica

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 42 minutes via I-405 North, usually 42 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 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	28	35	46	49	47	42	39	37	36	38	42	43	40	34	31	31	29
Tue	28	37	55	59	52	45	41	38	36	38	40	41	40	36	31	30	29
Wed	28	38	57	61	56	47	42	38	37	38	41	42	42	37	32	30	29
Thu	28	38	54	59	53	47	42	40	38	41	43	43	41	37	32	30	29
Fri	28	35	46	50	47	45	45	43	41	44	43	39	37	34	31	30	28
Sat	28	28	29	30	31	35	38	40	41	41	39	37	36	34	32	30	29
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	31	33	36	39	39	38	35	34	33	31	31	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 28 minutes and up to 61 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Saturdays (41 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 6 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 6 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 61 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 28 to 61 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Long Beach to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 61 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	28	35	46	49	47	42	39	37	36	38	42	43	40	34	31	31	29
Tue	28	37	55	59	52	45	41	38	36	38	40	41	40	36	31	30	29
Wed	28	38	57	61	56	47	42	38	37	38	41	42	42	37	32	30	29
Thu	28	38	54	59	53	47	42	40	38	41	43	43	41	37	32	30	29
Fri	28	35	46	50	47	45	45	43	41	44	43	39	37	34	31	30	28
Sat	28	28	29	30	31	35	38	40	41	41	39	37	36	34	32	30	29
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	31	33	36	39	39	38	35	34	33	31	31	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	35	46	49	47	42	39	37	36	38	42	43	40	34	31	31	29
Tue	28	37	55	59	52	45	41	38	36	38	40	41	40	36	31	30	29
Wed	28	38	57	61	56	47	42	38	37	38	41	42	42	37	32	30	29
Thu	28	38	54	59	53	47	42	40	38	41	43	43	41	37	32	30	29
Fri	28	35	46	50	47	45	45	43	41	44	43	39	37	34	31	30	28
Sat	28	28	29	30	31	35	38	40	41	41	39	37	36	34	32	30	29
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	31	33	36	39	39	38	35	34	33	31	31	29

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	35	46	49	47	42	39	37	36	38	42	43	40	34	31	31	29
Tue	28	37	55	59	52	45	41	38	36	38	40	41	40	36	31	30	29
Wed	28	38	57	61	56	47	42	38	37	38	41	42	42	37	32	30	29
Thu	28	38	54	59	53	47	42	40	38	41	43	43	41	37	32	30	29
Fri	28	35	46	50	47	45	45	43	41	44	43	39	37	34	31	30	28
Sat	28	28	29	30	31	35	38	40	41	41	39	37	36	34	32	30	29
Sun	28	28	28	28	29	31	33	36	39	39	38	35	34	33	31	31	29