Best Time to Drive from Oceanside to Santa Monica

Right now (9:35 pm PST): about 85 minutes via I-405 North and I-5 North, usually 85 at this time.

Only 10% 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 Oceanside 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	94	117	113	111	107	100	98	98	95	97	97	108	109	92	89	88	86
Tue	102	169	161	137	126	117	102	101	98	101	103	118	116	98	90	87	85
Wed	104	175	171	142	125	113	105	102	99	105	109	120	115	97	93	90	85
Thu	105	161	153	128	126	113	106	100	101	103	107	117	110	96	94	88	84
Fri	104	154	135	113	108	118	113	108	111	109	107	105	106	96	95	89	85
Sat	85	86	87	90	99	109	110	120	120	113	108	105	98	100	95	89	85
Sun	85	87	86	87	89	96	105	123	120	119	105	103	99	98	97	93	87

About this drive

On weekdays the 97-mile drive from Oceanside to Santa Monica (via I-405 North and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 84 minutes and up to 180 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 103 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (125 minutes).

About 95 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.7 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Oceanside 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 Oceanside to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 84 minutes then, versus up to 180 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 97-mile drive usually takes 84 to 180 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 103 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Oceanside to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 180 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-5 North in San Diego (18 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Oceanside to San Diego · Oceanside to Escondido · Oceanside to Chula Vista · Oceanside to La Jolla · Oceanside to El Cajon · Oceanside to SAN · Oceanside to Long Beach · Oceanside to Glendora · Oceanside to Anaheim · Oceanside to Riverside · Oceanside to Santa Ana · Oceanside to Manhattan

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	94	117	113	111	107	100	98	98	95	97	97	108	109	92	89	88	86
Tue	102	169	161	137	126	117	102	101	98	101	103	118	116	98	90	87	85
Wed	104	175	171	142	125	113	105	102	99	105	109	120	115	97	93	90	85
Thu	105	161	153	128	126	113	106	100	101	103	107	117	110	96	94	88	84
Fri	104	154	135	113	108	118	113	108	111	109	107	105	106	96	95	89	85
Sat	85	86	87	90	99	109	110	120	120	113	108	105	98	100	95	89	85
Sun	85	87	86	87	89	96	105	123	120	119	105	103	99	98	97	93	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	94	117	113	111	107	100	98	98	95	97	97	108	109	92	89	88	86
Tue	102	169	161	137	126	117	102	101	98	101	103	118	116	98	90	87	85
Wed	104	175	171	142	125	113	105	102	99	105	109	120	115	97	93	90	85
Thu	105	161	153	128	126	113	106	100	101	103	107	117	110	96	94	88	84
Fri	104	154	135	113	108	118	113	108	111	109	107	105	106	96	95	89	85
Sat	85	86	87	90	99	109	110	120	120	113	108	105	98	100	95	89	85
Sun	85	87	86	87	89	96	105	123	120	119	105	103	99	98	97	93	87

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	94	117	113	111	107	100	98	98	95	97	97	108	109	92	89	88	86
Tue	102	169	161	137	126	117	102	101	98	101	103	118	116	98	90	87	85
Wed	104	175	171	142	125	113	105	102	99	105	109	120	115	97	93	90	85
Thu	105	161	153	128	126	113	106	100	101	103	107	117	110	96	94	88	84
Fri	104	154	135	113	108	118	113	108	111	109	107	105	106	96	95	89	85
Sat	85	86	87	90	99	109	110	120	120	113	108	105	98	100	95	89	85
Sun	85	87	86	87	89	96	105	123	120	119	105	103	99	98	97	93	87