Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Altadena

Right now (12:51 am PST): about 30 minutes via I-10 East and I-110 North.

Only 3% 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 Altadena 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	31	33	35	33	33	33	33	33	35	34	35	34	35	34	34	33	30
Tue	31	33	34	34	33	36	35	35	34	36	35	35	36	36	35	34	31
Wed	30	33	34	33	36	35	35	35	36	35	35	35	35	35	35	33	31
Thu	32	34	35	36	35	36	35	34	35	35	36	35	34	34	36	34	32
Fri	31	35	36	35	36	36	34	35	36	36	36	36	35	36	34	34	31
Sat	33	34	35	35	35	36	35	34	36	36	35	34	35	35	34	33	30
Sun	32	35	40	37	34	34	34	36	37	36	35	34	34	35	34	33	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Santa Monica to Altadena (via I-10 East and I-110 North) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 36 minutes, when leaving around 9 am on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 7 am on Sundays (40 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 9 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 Altadena 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 Altadena?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 36 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 30 to 36 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Altadena?

Leaving around 9 am on Fridays is usually slowest, about 36 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-110 North in Los Angeles (12 miles) · I-210 West in Los Angeles (1.2 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Altadena 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	31	33	35	33	33	33	33	33	35	34	35	34	35	34	34	33	30
Tue	31	33	34	34	33	36	35	35	34	36	35	35	36	36	35	34	31
Wed	30	33	34	33	36	35	35	35	36	35	35	35	35	35	35	33	31
Thu	32	34	35	36	35	36	35	34	35	35	36	35	34	34	36	34	32
Fri	31	35	36	35	36	36	34	35	36	36	36	36	35	36	34	34	31
Sat	33	34	35	35	35	36	35	34	36	36	35	34	35	35	34	33	30
Sun	32	35	40	37	34	34	34	36	37	36	35	34	34	35	34	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	33	35	33	33	33	33	33	35	34	35	34	35	34	34	33	30
Tue	31	33	34	34	33	36	35	35	34	36	35	35	36	36	35	34	31
Wed	30	33	34	33	36	35	35	35	36	35	35	35	35	35	35	33	31
Thu	32	34	35	36	35	36	35	34	35	35	36	35	34	34	36	34	32
Fri	31	35	36	35	36	36	34	35	36	36	36	36	35	36	34	34	31
Sat	33	34	35	35	35	36	35	34	36	36	35	34	35	35	34	33	30
Sun	32	35	40	37	34	34	34	36	37	36	35	34	34	35	34	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	33	35	33	33	33	33	33	35	34	35	34	35	34	34	33	30
Tue	31	33	34	34	33	36	35	35	34	36	35	35	36	36	35	34	31
Wed	30	33	34	33	36	35	35	35	36	35	35	35	35	35	35	33	31
Thu	32	34	35	36	35	36	35	34	35	35	36	35	34	34	36	34	32
Fri	31	35	36	35	36	36	34	35	36	36	36	36	35	36	34	34	31
Sat	33	34	35	35	35	36	35	34	36	36	35	34	35	35	34	33	30
Sun	32	35	40	37	34	34	34	36	37	36	35	34	34	35	34	33	31