Best Time to Drive from Santa Clarita to Santa Monica

Right now (4:18 pm PDT): about 46 minutes via I-405 South, usually 36 at this time.

None 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 Clarita 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	32	43	60	55	41	35	34	33	34	35	34	33	33	33	34	33	31
Tue	31	57	81	70	46	35	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	37	36	37	33
Wed	32	33	39	44	43	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	35	35	34	31
Thu	34	49	77	63	35	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	34	34	35	33
Fri	32	35	37	35	33	34	38	36	36	35	35	36	36	35	35	35	34
Sat	33	35	36	34	34	34	37	41	41	36	36	36	36	34	33	34	31
Sun	32	33	33	32	33	33	35	37	39	40	40	39	35	35	35	36	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Santa Clarita to Santa Monica (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 81 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (42 minutes).

About 27 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 18 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Santa Clarita (Newhall Avenue) 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 Clarita to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 81 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 32-mile drive usually takes 31 to 81 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Clarita to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 81 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (4 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles) · SR-14 South in Los Angeles (1.6 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	43	60	55	41	35	34	33	34	35	34	33	33	33	34	33	31
Tue	31	57	81	70	46	35	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	37	36	37	33
Wed	32	33	39	44	43	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	35	35	34	31
Thu	34	49	77	63	35	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	34	34	35	33
Fri	32	35	37	35	33	34	38	36	36	35	35	36	36	35	35	35	34
Sat	33	35	36	34	34	34	37	41	41	36	36	36	36	34	33	34	31
Sun	32	33	33	32	33	33	35	37	39	40	40	39	35	35	35	36	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	43	60	55	41	35	34	33	34	35	34	33	33	33	34	33	31
Tue	31	57	81	70	46	35	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	37	36	37	33
Wed	32	33	39	44	43	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	35	35	34	31
Thu	34	49	77	63	35	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	34	34	35	33
Fri	32	35	37	35	33	34	38	36	36	35	35	36	36	35	35	35	34
Sat	33	35	36	34	34	34	37	41	41	36	36	36	36	34	33	34	31
Sun	32	33	33	32	33	33	35	37	39	40	40	39	35	35	35	36	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	43	60	55	41	35	34	33	34	35	34	33	33	33	34	33	31
Tue	31	57	81	70	46	35	33	33	33	33	33	34	36	37	36	37	33
Wed	32	33	39	44	43	33	33	33	33	34	34	34	34	35	35	34	31
Thu	34	49	77	63	35	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	36	34	34	35	33
Fri	32	35	37	35	33	34	38	36	36	35	35	36	36	35	35	35	34
Sat	33	35	36	34	34	34	37	41	41	36	36	36	36	34	33	34	31
Sun	32	33	33	32	33	33	35	37	39	40	40	39	35	35	35	36	32