Best Time to Drive from Norwalk to Santa Monica

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via I-10 West and I-5 North, usually 38 at this time.

Only 5% 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 Norwalk 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	44	53	58	46	38	37	37	35	36	36	36	36	33	30	27	27
Tue	27	45	55	65	51	45	37	35	35	36	36	36	35	34	32	29	27
Wed	27	44	58	62	50	42	37	35	33	34	36	34	34	33	32	29	27
Thu	27	43	53	63	51	43	39	37	35	35	37	38	37	35	33	31	28
Fri	27	39	43	46	41	39	39	40	41	40	40	39	38	37	35	32	29
Sat	27	27	30	31	34	39	42	39	38	37	36	36	36	35	34	31	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	29	32	32	36	35	36	35	35	36	38	37	37	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Norwalk to Santa Monica (via I-10 West and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 65 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (42 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 9 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Norwalk 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 Norwalk to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 65 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Norwalk to Santa Monica?

The 30-mile drive usually takes 27 to 65 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Norwalk to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 65 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (13 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to Norwalk (return trip) · Norwalk to Los Angeles · Norwalk to Long Beach · Norwalk to Irvine · Norwalk to Staten Island · Norwalk to Anaheim · Norwalk to Riverside · Norwalk to Santa Ana · Norwalk to San Bernardino · Norwalk to Fontana · Norwalk to Oxnard · Norwalk to Moreno Valley

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	44	53	58	46	38	37	37	35	36	36	36	36	33	30	27	27
Tue	27	45	55	65	51	45	37	35	35	36	36	36	35	34	32	29	27
Wed	27	44	58	62	50	42	37	35	33	34	36	34	34	33	32	29	27
Thu	27	43	53	63	51	43	39	37	35	35	37	38	37	35	33	31	28
Fri	27	39	43	46	41	39	39	40	41	40	40	39	38	37	35	32	29
Sat	27	27	30	31	34	39	42	39	38	37	36	36	36	35	34	31	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	29	32	32	36	35	36	35	35	36	38	37	37	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	44	53	58	46	38	37	37	35	36	36	36	36	33	30	27	27
Tue	27	45	55	65	51	45	37	35	35	36	36	36	35	34	32	29	27
Wed	27	44	58	62	50	42	37	35	33	34	36	34	34	33	32	29	27
Thu	27	43	53	63	51	43	39	37	35	35	37	38	37	35	33	31	28
Fri	27	39	43	46	41	39	39	40	41	40	40	39	38	37	35	32	29
Sat	27	27	30	31	34	39	42	39	38	37	36	36	36	35	34	31	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	29	32	32	36	35	36	35	35	36	38	37	37	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	44	53	58	46	38	37	37	35	36	36	36	36	33	30	27	27
Tue	27	45	55	65	51	45	37	35	35	36	36	36	35	34	32	29	27
Wed	27	44	58	62	50	42	37	35	33	34	36	34	34	33	32	29	27
Thu	27	43	53	63	51	43	39	37	35	35	37	38	37	35	33	31	28
Fri	27	39	43	46	41	39	39	40	41	40	40	39	38	37	35	32	29
Sat	27	27	30	31	34	39	42	39	38	37	36	36	36	35	34	31	29
Sun	27	27	27	27	29	32	32	36	35	36	35	35	36	38	37	37	31