Best Time to Drive from San Marcos to Santa Monica

Right now (5:50 pm PDT): about 131 minutes via I-405 North and I-5 North, usually 111 at this time.

Only 12% 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 San Marcos 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	117	143	133	131	126	118	118	118	114	114	115	129	119	104	104	102	100
Tue	137	185	170	148	138	128	117	114	112	114	122	131	124	109	104	102	100
Wed	133	194	179	151	137	127	119	118	116	119	126	133	123	110	107	102	99
Thu	131	181	161	139	139	125	121	113	117	114	124	126	119	111	106	102	99
Fri	132	168	143	132	125	139	129	131	134	139	132	135	134	121	111	102	99
Sat	101	100	103	108	116	129	143	153	146	152	146	130	121	115	110	102	99
Sun	99	101	100	101	105	120	154	159	172	154	139	130	128	115	111	103	99

About this drive

On weekdays the 111-mile drive from San Marcos to Santa Monica (via I-405 North and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 99 minutes and up to 194 minutes, when leaving around 6 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 119 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (172 minutes).

About 106 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (about 3 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central San Marcos 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 Marcos to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 99 minutes then, versus up to 194 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from San Marcos to Santa Monica?

The 111-mile drive usually takes 99 to 194 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 119 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from San Marcos to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 6 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 194 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-5 North in San Diego (20 miles) · SR-73 North in Orange County (18 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-78 West in San Diego (9 miles)

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

More drives

San Marcos to San Diego · San Marcos to Anaheim · San Marcos to Riverside · San Marcos to Santa Ana · San Marcos to Chula Vista · San Marcos to Irvine · San Marcos to San Bernardino · San Marcos to Fontana · San Marcos to Moreno Valley · San Marcos to Huntington Beach · San Marcos to Oceanside · San Marcos to Garden Grove

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	117	143	133	131	126	118	118	118	114	114	115	129	119	104	104	102	100
Tue	137	185	170	148	138	128	117	114	112	114	122	131	124	109	104	102	100
Wed	133	194	179	151	137	127	119	118	116	119	126	133	123	110	107	102	99
Thu	131	181	161	139	139	125	121	113	117	114	124	126	119	111	106	102	99
Fri	132	168	143	132	125	139	129	131	134	139	132	135	134	121	111	102	99
Sat	101	100	103	108	116	129	143	153	146	152	146	130	121	115	110	102	99
Sun	99	101	100	101	105	120	154	159	172	154	139	130	128	115	111	103	99

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	117	143	133	131	126	118	118	118	114	114	115	129	119	104	104	102	100
Tue	137	185	170	148	138	128	117	114	112	114	122	131	124	109	104	102	100
Wed	133	194	179	151	137	127	119	118	116	119	126	133	123	110	107	102	99
Thu	131	181	161	139	139	125	121	113	117	114	124	126	119	111	106	102	99
Fri	132	168	143	132	125	139	129	131	134	139	132	135	134	121	111	102	99
Sat	101	100	103	108	116	129	143	153	146	152	146	130	121	115	110	102	99
Sun	99	101	100	101	105	120	154	159	172	154	139	130	128	115	111	103	99

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	117	143	133	131	126	118	118	118	114	114	115	129	119	104	104	102	100
Tue	137	185	170	148	138	128	117	114	112	114	122	131	124	109	104	102	100
Wed	133	194	179	151	137	127	119	118	116	119	126	133	123	110	107	102	99
Thu	131	181	161	139	139	125	121	113	117	114	124	126	119	111	106	102	99
Fri	132	168	143	132	125	139	129	131	134	139	132	135	134	121	111	102	99
Sat	101	100	103	108	116	129	143	153	146	152	146	130	121	115	110	102	99
Sun	99	101	100	101	105	120	154	159	172	154	139	130	128	115	111	103	99