Best Time to Drive from Newport Beach to Santa Monica

Right now (5:54 pm PDT): about 73 minutes via I-405 North, usually 66 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	55	66	78	75	69	64	62	61	60	60	61	63	64	60	55	54	53
Tue	54	72	91	88	78	69	65	62	60	60	65	71	71	64	56	54	54
Wed	55	73	92	89	81	70	65	62	62	63	67	71	72	65	58	55	54
Thu	55	72	87	85	76	69	65	63	62	64	66	72	75	66	58	55	53
Fri	54	66	75	75	70	67	68	67	66	70	70	70	74	67	60	56	53
Sat	53	54	54	60	61	66	69	77	74	74	72	74	74	66	61	56	54
Sun	53	53	54	54	55	58	67	66	71	71	66	66	62	63	58	57	54

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 93 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 63 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (77 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 37 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 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 53 minutes then, versus up to 93 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 93 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 63 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Newport Beach to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 93 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	55	66	78	75	69	64	62	61	60	60	61	63	64	60	55	54	53
Tue	54	72	91	88	78	69	65	62	60	60	65	71	71	64	56	54	54
Wed	55	73	92	89	81	70	65	62	62	63	67	71	72	65	58	55	54
Thu	55	72	87	85	76	69	65	63	62	64	66	72	75	66	58	55	53
Fri	54	66	75	75	70	67	68	67	66	70	70	70	74	67	60	56	53
Sat	53	54	54	60	61	66	69	77	74	74	72	74	74	66	61	56	54
Sun	53	53	54	54	55	58	67	66	71	71	66	66	62	63	58	57	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	66	78	75	69	64	62	61	60	60	61	63	64	60	55	54	53
Tue	54	72	91	88	78	69	65	62	60	60	65	71	71	64	56	54	54
Wed	55	73	92	89	81	70	65	62	62	63	67	71	72	65	58	55	54
Thu	55	72	87	85	76	69	65	63	62	64	66	72	75	66	58	55	53
Fri	54	66	75	75	70	67	68	67	66	70	70	70	74	67	60	56	53
Sat	53	54	54	60	61	66	69	77	74	74	72	74	74	66	61	56	54
Sun	53	53	54	54	55	58	67	66	71	71	66	66	62	63	58	57	54

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	66	78	75	69	64	62	61	60	60	61	63	64	60	55	54	53
Tue	54	72	91	88	78	69	65	62	60	60	65	71	71	64	56	54	54
Wed	55	73	92	89	81	70	65	62	62	63	67	71	72	65	58	55	54
Thu	55	72	87	85	76	69	65	63	62	64	66	72	75	66	58	55	53
Fri	54	66	75	75	70	67	68	67	66	70	70	70	74	67	60	56	53
Sat	53	54	54	60	61	66	69	77	74	74	72	74	74	66	61	56	54
Sun	53	53	54	54	55	58	67	66	71	71	66	66	62	63	58	57	54