Best Time to Drive from Santa Ana to Santa Monica

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 56 minutes via I-5 North and I-10 West, usually 53 at this time.

Only 23% 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 Santa Ana 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	43	60	70	72	63	52	52	51	50	50	52	52	53	50	45	43	42
Tue	43	63	77	77	63	56	52	51	50	50	51	54	55	52	48	44	42
Wed	43	58	71	72	62	54	51	50	49	48	53	54	56	53	48	44	42
Thu	43	59	71	72	61	57	54	51	50	50	54	57	57	53	49	45	43
Fri	42	58	57	59	55	53	54	54	55	55	58	58	59	59	51	46	43
Sat	41	43	45	46	49	52	56	53	52	50	50	51	51	49	49	47	44
Sun	42	42	42	43	44	47	48	52	51	52	51	51	52	54	54	50	44

About this drive

On weekdays the 46-mile drive from Santa Ana to Santa Monica (via I-5 North and I-10 West) usually takes as little as 42 minutes and up to 82 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 51 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (56 minutes).

About 44 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Ana (Main Street) 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 Santa Ana to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 42 minutes then, versus up to 82 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 46-mile drive usually takes 42 to 82 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 51 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Ana to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 82 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (19 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (8 miles) · SR-60 West in Los Angeles (1.7 miles)

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

Santa Ana to Santa Monica over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Santa Monica to Santa Ana (return trip) · Santa Ana to Los Angeles · Santa Ana to Pasadena · Santa Ana to Long Beach · Santa Ana to West Covina · Santa Ana to Burbank · Santa Ana to Glendale · Santa Ana to Santa Clarita · Santa Ana to Van Nuys · Santa Ana to Torrance · Santa Ana to LAX · Santa Ana 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	43	60	70	72	63	52	52	51	50	50	52	52	53	50	45	43	42
Tue	43	63	77	77	63	56	52	51	50	50	51	54	55	52	48	44	42
Wed	43	58	71	72	62	54	51	50	49	48	53	54	56	53	48	44	42
Thu	43	59	71	72	61	57	54	51	50	50	54	57	57	53	49	45	43
Fri	42	58	57	59	55	53	54	54	55	55	58	58	59	59	51	46	43
Sat	41	43	45	46	49	52	56	53	52	50	50	51	51	49	49	47	44
Sun	42	42	42	43	44	47	48	52	51	52	51	51	52	54	54	50	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	60	70	72	63	52	52	51	50	50	52	52	53	50	45	43	42
Tue	43	63	77	77	63	56	52	51	50	50	51	54	55	52	48	44	42
Wed	43	58	71	72	62	54	51	50	49	48	53	54	56	53	48	44	42
Thu	43	59	71	72	61	57	54	51	50	50	54	57	57	53	49	45	43
Fri	42	58	57	59	55	53	54	54	55	55	58	58	59	59	51	46	43
Sat	41	43	45	46	49	52	56	53	52	50	50	51	51	49	49	47	44
Sun	42	42	42	43	44	47	48	52	51	52	51	51	52	54	54	50	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	60	70	72	63	52	52	51	50	50	52	52	53	50	45	43	42
Tue	43	63	77	77	63	56	52	51	50	50	51	54	55	52	48	44	42
Wed	43	58	71	72	62	54	51	50	49	48	53	54	56	53	48	44	42
Thu	43	59	71	72	61	57	54	51	50	50	54	57	57	53	49	45	43
Fri	42	58	57	59	55	53	54	54	55	55	58	58	59	59	51	46	43
Sat	41	43	45	46	49	52	56	53	52	50	50	51	51	49	49	47	44
Sun	42	42	42	43	44	47	48	52	51	52	51	51	52	54	54	50	44