Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Los Angeles to Santa Monica
Right now (4:18 pm PDT): about 25 minutes via I-10 West, usually 25 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 15 | 19 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 16 |
| Tue | 15 | 19 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 17 | 16 |
| Wed | 15 | 19 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 17 | 16 |
| Thu | 15 | 19 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 17 | 16 |
| Fri | 15 | 18 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 16 |
| Sat | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 |
| Sun | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 16-mile drive from Los Angeles to Santa Monica (via I-10 West) usually takes as little as 15 minutes and up to 31 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 21 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (23 minutes).
About 14 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.9 miles surface streets (3 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from Downtown LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) 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 Los Angeles to Santa Monica?
On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 15 minutes then, versus up to 31 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Los Angeles to Santa Monica?
The 16-mile drive usually takes 15 to 31 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 21 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Los Angeles to Santa Monica?
Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 31 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-10 West in Los Angeles (12 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (1.9 miles)
Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow
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