Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Corona

Right now (7:50 pm PST): about 74 minutes via SR-91 East and I-5 South and I-10 East, usually 64 at this time.

Only 21% 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 Corona 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	56	64	72	72	63	65	73	71	77	87	114	122	117	100	72	59	54
Tue	53	61	82	82	66	65	69	72	78	90	117	131	123	111	84	64	54
Wed	54	60	79	80	69	63	67	70	74	87	100	107	101	93	81	66	56
Thu	53	62	81	78	67	67	75	78	84	99	121	124	123	110	79	64	57
Fri	54	58	72	74	71	69	72	79	94	116	128	126	125	103	78	66	58
Sat	55	56	58	60	66	66	72	74	77	81	84	80	78	74	67	65	58
Sun	54	55	54	56	57	66	67	75	75	79	75	72	73	68	69	67	58

About this drive

On weekdays the 61-mile drive from Santa Monica to Corona (via SR-91 East and I-5 South and I-10 East) usually takes as little as 53 minutes and up to 131 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 80 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (85 minutes).

About 60 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.6 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 central Corona (East 6th Street) 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 Corona?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 53 minutes then, versus up to 131 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 61-mile drive usually takes 53 to 131 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 80 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Corona?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 131 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-91 East in Orange County (25 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (10 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 Corona over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Corona 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	56	64	72	72	63	65	73	71	77	87	114	122	117	100	72	59	54
Tue	53	61	82	82	66	65	69	72	78	90	117	131	123	111	84	64	54
Wed	54	60	79	80	69	63	67	70	74	87	100	107	101	93	81	66	56
Thu	53	62	81	78	67	67	75	78	84	99	121	124	123	110	79	64	57
Fri	54	58	72	74	71	69	72	79	94	116	128	126	125	103	78	66	58
Sat	55	56	58	60	66	66	72	74	77	81	84	80	78	74	67	65	58
Sun	54	55	54	56	57	66	67	75	75	79	75	72	73	68	69	67	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	64	72	72	63	65	73	71	77	87	114	122	117	100	72	59	54
Tue	53	61	82	82	66	65	69	72	78	90	117	131	123	111	84	64	54
Wed	54	60	79	80	69	63	67	70	74	87	100	107	101	93	81	66	56
Thu	53	62	81	78	67	67	75	78	84	99	121	124	123	110	79	64	57
Fri	54	58	72	74	71	69	72	79	94	116	128	126	125	103	78	66	58
Sat	55	56	58	60	66	66	72	74	77	81	84	80	78	74	67	65	58
Sun	54	55	54	56	57	66	67	75	75	79	75	72	73	68	69	67	58

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	64	72	72	63	65	73	71	77	87	114	122	117	100	72	59	54
Tue	53	61	82	82	66	65	69	72	78	90	117	131	123	111	84	64	54
Wed	54	60	79	80	69	63	67	70	74	87	100	107	101	93	81	66	56
Thu	53	62	81	78	67	67	75	78	84	99	121	124	123	110	79	64	57
Fri	54	58	72	74	71	69	72	79	94	116	128	126	125	103	78	66	58
Sat	55	56	58	60	66	66	72	74	77	81	84	80	78	74	67	65	58
Sun	54	55	54	56	57	66	67	75	75	79	75	72	73	68	69	67	58