Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Aliso Viejo

Right now (12:51 am PDT): about 55 minutes via I-405 South and SR-73 South.

Only 19% 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 Monica to Aliso Viejo 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	55	56	59	73	62	59	60	62	70	86	107	108	109	93	64	58	55
Tue	56	56	62	85	76	64	63	69	115	158	187	196	162	118	80	62	56
Wed	55	56	62	86	71	61	61	70	115	180	197	190	164	125	86	67	56
Thu	55	56	61	79	69	62	63	79	100	166	163	140	121	100	89	74	57
Fri	55	56	58	70	61	60	64	100	136	141	117	90	88	88	76	69	57
Sat	56	56	55	56	57	59	63	69	73	79	79	74	71	62	60	61	56
Sun	56	55	55	55	56	57	58	59	63	64	63	61	60	60	60	60	56

About this drive

On weekdays the 62-mile drive from Santa Monica to Aliso Viejo (via I-405 South and SR-73 South) usually takes as little as 55 minutes and up to 201 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 97 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (86 minutes).

About 59 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (3 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Santa Monica to central Aliso Viejo 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 Monica to Aliso Viejo?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 55 minutes then, versus up to 201 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Aliso Viejo?

The 62-mile drive usually takes 55 to 201 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 97 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Aliso Viejo?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 201 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (16 miles) · SR-73 South in Orange County (12 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

More drives

Aliso Viejo to Santa Monica (return trip) · Santa Monica to Los Angeles · Santa Monica to Pasadena · Santa Monica to Long Beach · Santa Monica to West Covina · Santa Monica to Burbank · Santa Monica to Glendale · Santa Monica to Santa Clarita · Santa Monica to Van Nuys · Santa Monica to Torrance · Santa Monica to Culver City · Santa Monica to El Monte

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	56	59	73	62	59	60	62	70	86	107	108	109	93	64	58	55
Tue	56	56	62	85	76	64	63	69	115	158	187	196	162	118	80	62	56
Wed	55	56	62	86	71	61	61	70	115	180	197	190	164	125	86	67	56
Thu	55	56	61	79	69	62	63	79	100	166	163	140	121	100	89	74	57
Fri	55	56	58	70	61	60	64	100	136	141	117	90	88	88	76	69	57
Sat	56	56	55	56	57	59	63	69	73	79	79	74	71	62	60	61	56
Sun	56	55	55	55	56	57	58	59	63	64	63	61	60	60	60	60	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	56	59	73	62	59	60	62	70	86	107	108	109	93	64	58	55
Tue	56	56	62	85	76	64	63	69	115	158	187	196	162	118	80	62	56
Wed	55	56	62	86	71	61	61	70	115	180	197	190	164	125	86	67	56
Thu	55	56	61	79	69	62	63	79	100	166	163	140	121	100	89	74	57
Fri	55	56	58	70	61	60	64	100	136	141	117	90	88	88	76	69	57
Sat	56	56	55	56	57	59	63	69	73	79	79	74	71	62	60	61	56
Sun	56	55	55	55	56	57	58	59	63	64	63	61	60	60	60	60	56

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	55	56	59	73	62	59	60	62	70	86	107	108	109	93	64	58	55
Tue	56	56	62	85	76	64	63	69	115	158	187	196	162	118	80	62	56
Wed	55	56	62	86	71	61	61	70	115	180	197	190	164	125	86	67	56
Thu	55	56	61	79	69	62	63	79	100	166	163	140	121	100	89	74	57
Fri	55	56	58	70	61	60	64	100	136	141	117	90	88	88	76	69	57
Sat	56	56	55	56	57	59	63	69	73	79	79	74	71	62	60	61	56
Sun	56	55	55	55	56	57	58	59	63	64	63	61	60	60	60	60	56