Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Buena Park

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 50 minutes via I-5 South and I-10 East, usually 47 at this time.

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 Buena Park 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	37	39	39	35	37	44	41	45	51	68	77	76	65	42	33	30
Tue	30	33	43	44	34	37	40	42	45	50	70	83	81	74	51	36	30
Wed	30	32	42	44	36	35	39	39	44	51	59	67	65	59	49	38	31
Thu	29	33	42	42	36	38	45	48	50	59	74	80	81	74	49	36	33
Fri	30	32	40	43	40	39	41	46	53	66	76	78	81	68	46	36	33
Sat	30	31	32	35	38	39	44	45	46	48	48	45	44	43	39	37	33
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	40	40	48	48	50	47	45	45	40	41	38	34

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Santa Monica to Buena Park (via I-5 South and I-10 East) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 84 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Sundays (50 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 0.7 miles surface streets (1 to 2 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 Buena Park 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 Buena Park?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 84 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Buena Park?

The 34-mile drive usually takes 29 to 84 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Buena Park?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 84 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (5 miles)

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

More drives

Buena Park 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	37	39	39	35	37	44	41	45	51	68	77	76	65	42	33	30
Tue	30	33	43	44	34	37	40	42	45	50	70	83	81	74	51	36	30
Wed	30	32	42	44	36	35	39	39	44	51	59	67	65	59	49	38	31
Thu	29	33	42	42	36	38	45	48	50	59	74	80	81	74	49	36	33
Fri	30	32	40	43	40	39	41	46	53	66	76	78	81	68	46	36	33
Sat	30	31	32	35	38	39	44	45	46	48	48	45	44	43	39	37	33
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	40	40	48	48	50	47	45	45	40	41	38	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	37	39	39	35	37	44	41	45	51	68	77	76	65	42	33	30
Tue	30	33	43	44	34	37	40	42	45	50	70	83	81	74	51	36	30
Wed	30	32	42	44	36	35	39	39	44	51	59	67	65	59	49	38	31
Thu	29	33	42	42	36	38	45	48	50	59	74	80	81	74	49	36	33
Fri	30	32	40	43	40	39	41	46	53	66	76	78	81	68	46	36	33
Sat	30	31	32	35	38	39	44	45	46	48	48	45	44	43	39	37	33
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	40	40	48	48	50	47	45	45	40	41	38	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	37	39	39	35	37	44	41	45	51	68	77	76	65	42	33	30
Tue	30	33	43	44	34	37	40	42	45	50	70	83	81	74	51	36	30
Wed	30	32	42	44	36	35	39	39	44	51	59	67	65	59	49	38	31
Thu	29	33	42	42	36	38	45	48	50	59	74	80	81	74	49	36	33
Fri	30	32	40	43	40	39	41	46	53	66	76	78	81	68	46	36	33
Sat	30	31	32	35	38	39	44	45	46	48	48	45	44	43	39	37	33
Sun	30	30	30	31	31	40	40	48	48	50	47	45	45	40	41	38	34