Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Fountain Valley

Right now (6:20 pm PDT): about 81 minutes via I-405 South, usually 95 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Fountain Valley 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	39	39	40	44	45	44	45	48	67	90	117	119	112	84	49	42	39
Tue	40	39	40	57	58	50	48	71	153	222	235	202	157	110	68	47	39
Wed	39	39	40	60	52	44	46	63	164	236	241	201	162	117	75	52	40
Thu	39	40	40	52	51	46	48	81	138	196	176	140	115	90	80	60	40
Fri	39	39	40	53	45	45	51	132	169	149	111	78	80	76	61	54	41
Sat	40	40	39	40	42	44	53	65	70	88	75	65	60	46	45	46	40
Sun	40	40	39	40	41	41	43	44	50	51	48	46	45	45	45	45	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Santa Monica to Fountain Valley (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 39 minutes and up to 246 minutes, when leaving around 2:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 111 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (88 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.4 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 Fountain Valley 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 Fountain Valley?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 39 minutes then, versus up to 246 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Fountain Valley?

The 44-mile drive usually takes 39 to 246 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 111 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Fountain Valley?

Leaving around 2:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 246 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 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

Fountain Valley 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	39	39	40	44	45	44	45	48	67	90	117	119	112	84	49	42	39
Tue	40	39	40	57	58	50	48	71	153	222	235	202	157	110	68	47	39
Wed	39	39	40	60	52	44	46	63	164	236	241	201	162	117	75	52	40
Thu	39	40	40	52	51	46	48	81	138	196	176	140	115	90	80	60	40
Fri	39	39	40	53	45	45	51	132	169	149	111	78	80	76	61	54	41
Sat	40	40	39	40	42	44	53	65	70	88	75	65	60	46	45	46	40
Sun	40	40	39	40	41	41	43	44	50	51	48	46	45	45	45	45	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	39	40	44	45	44	45	48	67	90	117	119	112	84	49	42	39
Tue	40	39	40	57	58	50	48	71	153	222	235	202	157	110	68	47	39
Wed	39	39	40	60	52	44	46	63	164	236	241	201	162	117	75	52	40
Thu	39	40	40	52	51	46	48	81	138	196	176	140	115	90	80	60	40
Fri	39	39	40	53	45	45	51	132	169	149	111	78	80	76	61	54	41
Sat	40	40	39	40	42	44	53	65	70	88	75	65	60	46	45	46	40
Sun	40	40	39	40	41	41	43	44	50	51	48	46	45	45	45	45	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	39	40	44	45	44	45	48	67	90	117	119	112	84	49	42	39
Tue	40	39	40	57	58	50	48	71	153	222	235	202	157	110	68	47	39
Wed	39	39	40	60	52	44	46	63	164	236	241	201	162	117	75	52	40
Thu	39	40	40	52	51	46	48	81	138	196	176	140	115	90	80	60	40
Fri	39	39	40	53	45	45	51	132	169	149	111	78	80	76	61	54	41
Sat	40	40	39	40	42	44	53	65	70	88	75	65	60	46	45	46	40
Sun	40	40	39	40	41	41	43	44	50	51	48	46	45	45	45	45	40