Best Time to Drive from Newport Beach to Santa Monica

Right now (7:35 pm PST): about 57 minutes via I-405 North, usually 65 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 Newport 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	53	80	97	87	84	79	70	71	69	65	61	60	63	60	58	57	53
Tue	53	134	161	135	111	100	82	73	67	64	64	65	72	66	58	58	55
Wed	53	129	171	143	114	99	83	75	72	72	70	70	76	66	63	65	56
Thu	54	126	152	126	104	100	79	75	66	68	66	69	74	65	60	57	53
Fri	53	119	131	99	89	81	90	82	76	73	65	59	57	62	58	56	53
Sat	53	56	56	60	64	71	80	78	86	83	75	76	67	65	64	61	53
Sun	54	54	56	56	56	62	72	74	96	87	83	67	68	65	62	61	53

About this drive

On weekdays the 51-mile drive from Newport Beach to Santa Monica (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 53 minutes and up to 171 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 73 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (96 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 17 miles surface streets (23 to 33 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Newport 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 Newport Beach to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 53 minutes then, versus up to 171 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 51-mile drive usually takes 53 to 171 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 73 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Newport Beach to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 171 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (4 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

Newport Beach to Los Angeles · Newport Beach to Sawtelle · Newport Beach to Anaheim

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	80	97	87	84	79	70	71	69	65	61	60	63	60	58	57	53
Tue	53	134	161	135	111	100	82	73	67	64	64	65	72	66	58	58	55
Wed	53	129	171	143	114	99	83	75	72	72	70	70	76	66	63	65	56
Thu	54	126	152	126	104	100	79	75	66	68	66	69	74	65	60	57	53
Fri	53	119	131	99	89	81	90	82	76	73	65	59	57	62	58	56	53
Sat	53	56	56	60	64	71	80	78	86	83	75	76	67	65	64	61	53
Sun	54	54	56	56	56	62	72	74	96	87	83	67	68	65	62	61	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	80	97	87	84	79	70	71	69	65	61	60	63	60	58	57	53
Tue	53	134	161	135	111	100	82	73	67	64	64	65	72	66	58	58	55
Wed	53	129	171	143	114	99	83	75	72	72	70	70	76	66	63	65	56
Thu	54	126	152	126	104	100	79	75	66	68	66	69	74	65	60	57	53
Fri	53	119	131	99	89	81	90	82	76	73	65	59	57	62	58	56	53
Sat	53	56	56	60	64	71	80	78	86	83	75	76	67	65	64	61	53
Sun	54	54	56	56	56	62	72	74	96	87	83	67	68	65	62	61	53

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	53	80	97	87	84	79	70	71	69	65	61	60	63	60	58	57	53
Tue	53	134	161	135	111	100	82	73	67	64	64	65	72	66	58	58	55
Wed	53	129	171	143	114	99	83	75	72	72	70	70	76	66	63	65	56
Thu	54	126	152	126	104	100	79	75	66	68	66	69	74	65	60	57	53
Fri	53	119	131	99	89	81	90	82	76	73	65	59	57	62	58	56	53
Sat	53	56	56	60	64	71	80	78	86	83	75	76	67	65	64	61	53
Sun	54	54	56	56	56	62	72	74	96	87	83	67	68	65	62	61	53