Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Anaheim

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 48 minutes via I-5 South and I-10 East, usually 54 at this time.

Only 14% 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 Anaheim 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	37	44	54	52	42	44	51	49	54	61	86	94	93	78	50	39	36
Tue	35	41	63	61	44	43	47	49	53	62	89	105	99	88	61	44	35
Wed	35	40	63	60	46	41	45	46	51	61	70	79	75	69	58	45	37
Thu	35	40	63	59	45	46	53	57	61	73	93	99	99	88	58	43	39
Fri	35	38	52	54	48	46	49	55	65	86	97	98	104	81	56	45	39
Sat	36	36	37	40	45	46	51	53	55	60	61	57	54	52	46	45	39
Sun	36	36	36	37	37	46	47	56	56	59	55	53	53	48	49	46	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Santa Monica to Anaheim (via I-5 South and I-10 East) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 105 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 55 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 39 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.5 miles surface streets (2 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Santa Monica to Disneyland 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 Anaheim?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 105 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 35 to 105 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 55 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Anaheim?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 105 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (14 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (9 miles)

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

Santa Monica to Anaheim over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Anaheim 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	37	44	54	52	42	44	51	49	54	61	86	94	93	78	50	39	36
Tue	35	41	63	61	44	43	47	49	53	62	89	105	99	88	61	44	35
Wed	35	40	63	60	46	41	45	46	51	61	70	79	75	69	58	45	37
Thu	35	40	63	59	45	46	53	57	61	73	93	99	99	88	58	43	39
Fri	35	38	52	54	48	46	49	55	65	86	97	98	104	81	56	45	39
Sat	36	36	37	40	45	46	51	53	55	60	61	57	54	52	46	45	39
Sun	36	36	36	37	37	46	47	56	56	59	55	53	53	48	49	46	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	44	54	52	42	44	51	49	54	61	86	94	93	78	50	39	36
Tue	35	41	63	61	44	43	47	49	53	62	89	105	99	88	61	44	35
Wed	35	40	63	60	46	41	45	46	51	61	70	79	75	69	58	45	37
Thu	35	40	63	59	45	46	53	57	61	73	93	99	99	88	58	43	39
Fri	35	38	52	54	48	46	49	55	65	86	97	98	104	81	56	45	39
Sat	36	36	37	40	45	46	51	53	55	60	61	57	54	52	46	45	39
Sun	36	36	36	37	37	46	47	56	56	59	55	53	53	48	49	46	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	44	54	52	42	44	51	49	54	61	86	94	93	78	50	39	36
Tue	35	41	63	61	44	43	47	49	53	62	89	105	99	88	61	44	35
Wed	35	40	63	60	46	41	45	46	51	61	70	79	75	69	58	45	37
Thu	35	40	63	59	45	46	53	57	61	73	93	99	99	88	58	43	39
Fri	35	38	52	54	48	46	49	55	65	86	97	98	104	81	56	45	39
Sat	36	36	37	40	45	46	51	53	55	60	61	57	54	52	46	45	39
Sun	36	36	36	37	37	46	47	56	56	59	55	53	53	48	49	46	40