Best Time to Drive from Ontario to Santa Monica

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 66 minutes via I-10 West, usually 58 at this time.

Only 24% 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 Ontario 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	47	69	85	74	68	61	58	56	54	53	52	51	50	50	49	50	49
Tue	48	72	89	82	69	62	58	55	54	53	52	52	52	52	52	52	50
Wed	49	71	89	83	71	66	62	57	54	53	52	51	54	61	67	64	50
Thu	49	68	83	78	67	64	60	57	55	54	53	52	56	54	53	55	50
Fri	49	58	63	62	60	58	57	55	56	54	56	52	55	58	70	67	49
Sat	49	50	51	52	55	55	58	57	61	57	56	54	55	54	52	52	48
Sun	49	48	49	50	51	52	54	54	55	54	54	53	53	53	58	60	51

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from Ontario to Santa Monica (via I-10 West) usually takes as little as 47 minutes and up to 90 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 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 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (62 minutes).

About 50 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (4 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Ontario (Holt Boulevard) 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 Ontario to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 47 minutes then, versus up to 90 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 53-mile drive usually takes 47 to 90 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Ontario to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 90 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 West in Los Angeles (43 miles) · I-10 West in Inland Empire (3 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (3 miles) · US-101 North in Los Angeles (1.6 miles)

Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to Ontario (return trip) · Ontario to Los Angeles · Ontario to Pasadena · Ontario to Long Beach · Ontario to West Covina · Ontario to Burbank · Ontario to Glendale · Ontario to Santa Clarita · Ontario to Van Nuys · Ontario to Torrance · Ontario to LAX · Ontario to Hollywood

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	69	85	74	68	61	58	56	54	53	52	51	50	50	49	50	49
Tue	48	72	89	82	69	62	58	55	54	53	52	52	52	52	52	52	50
Wed	49	71	89	83	71	66	62	57	54	53	52	51	54	61	67	64	50
Thu	49	68	83	78	67	64	60	57	55	54	53	52	56	54	53	55	50
Fri	49	58	63	62	60	58	57	55	56	54	56	52	55	58	70	67	49
Sat	49	50	51	52	55	55	58	57	61	57	56	54	55	54	52	52	48
Sun	49	48	49	50	51	52	54	54	55	54	54	53	53	53	58	60	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	69	85	74	68	61	58	56	54	53	52	51	50	50	49	50	49
Tue	48	72	89	82	69	62	58	55	54	53	52	52	52	52	52	52	50
Wed	49	71	89	83	71	66	62	57	54	53	52	51	54	61	67	64	50
Thu	49	68	83	78	67	64	60	57	55	54	53	52	56	54	53	55	50
Fri	49	58	63	62	60	58	57	55	56	54	56	52	55	58	70	67	49
Sat	49	50	51	52	55	55	58	57	61	57	56	54	55	54	52	52	48
Sun	49	48	49	50	51	52	54	54	55	54	54	53	53	53	58	60	51

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	47	69	85	74	68	61	58	56	54	53	52	51	50	50	49	50	49
Tue	48	72	89	82	69	62	58	55	54	53	52	52	52	52	52	52	50
Wed	49	71	89	83	71	66	62	57	54	53	52	51	54	61	67	64	50
Thu	49	68	83	78	67	64	60	57	55	54	53	52	56	54	53	55	50
Fri	49	58	63	62	60	58	57	55	56	54	56	52	55	58	70	67	49
Sat	49	50	51	52	55	55	58	57	61	57	56	54	55	54	52	52	48
Sun	49	48	49	50	51	52	54	54	55	54	54	53	53	53	58	60	51