Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from San Luis Obispo to Santa Monica
Right now (5:54 pm PDT): about 272 minutes via US-101 South, usually 212 at this time.
Only 31% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 206 | 206 | 208 | 209 | 209 | 211 | 214 | 214 | 214 | 225 | 233 | 233 | 222 | 210 | 207 | 207 | 206 |
| Tue | 206 | 206 | 209 | 209 | 209 | 210 | 211 | 213 | 213 | 223 | 231 | 231 | 222 | 209 | 207 | 207 | 207 |
| Wed | 206 | 206 | 209 | 211 | 209 | 210 | 211 | 214 | 215 | 220 | 230 | 230 | 221 | 210 | 207 | 207 | 207 |
| Thu | 205 | 206 | 209 | 210 | 210 | 210 | 213 | 214 | 215 | 222 | 234 | 238 | 226 | 212 | 208 | 207 | 206 |
| Fri | 205 | 206 | 208 | 210 | 210 | 214 | 216 | 218 | 220 | 226 | 238 | 242 | 224 | 211 | 208 | 206 | 205 |
| Sat | 206 | 205 | 205 | 206 | 208 | 210 | 214 | 215 | 215 | 218 | 216 | 213 | 210 | 208 | 208 | 206 | 205 |
| Sun | 206 | 206 | 205 | 206 | 207 | 211 | 215 | 219 | 222 | 222 | 216 | 215 | 211 | 209 | 208 | 206 | 205 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 191-mile drive from San Luis Obispo to Santa Monica (via US-101 South) usually takes as little as 205 minutes and up to 242 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 2:30 pm or after 5 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 216 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (224 minutes).
About 102 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 89 miles surface streets (about 104 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo to Santa Monica?
On weekdays, leave before 2:30 pm or after 5 pm. The drive usually takes about 205 minutes then, versus up to 242 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from San Luis Obispo to Santa Monica?
The 191-mile drive usually takes 205 to 242 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 216 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from San Luis Obispo to Santa Monica?
Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 242 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
US-101 South in Los Angeles (17 miles)
Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow