Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Fullerton

Right now (7:51 pm PST): about 50 minutes via I-5 South and I-10 East, usually 42 at this time.

Only 9% 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 Fullerton 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	36	43	51	50	42	44	50	47	52	58	75	85	82	72	47	39	36
Tue	35	40	58	58	43	44	47	49	53	59	78	90	87	79	57	42	36
Wed	36	39	56	56	45	41	45	46	50	59	68	74	71	65	55	43	37
Thu	35	39	56	55	45	45	51	54	58	66	82	87	88	79	55	42	38
Fri	35	38	49	51	48	46	48	54	61	75	85	86	89	73	52	43	39
Sat	36	36	37	40	44	45	50	51	53	55	56	52	50	49	45	43	39
Sun	36	36	36	37	37	46	46	53	53	56	52	50	51	46	47	44	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Santa Monica to Fullerton (via I-5 South and I-10 East) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 91 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 53 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (57 minutes).

About 38 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 6 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 Fullerton 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 Fullerton?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 91 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 35 to 91 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 53 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Fullerton?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 91 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 (6 miles) · SR-91 East in Orange County (3 miles)

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

More drives

Fullerton 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	36	43	51	50	42	44	50	47	52	58	75	85	82	72	47	39	36
Tue	35	40	58	58	43	44	47	49	53	59	78	90	87	79	57	42	36
Wed	36	39	56	56	45	41	45	46	50	59	68	74	71	65	55	43	37
Thu	35	39	56	55	45	45	51	54	58	66	82	87	88	79	55	42	38
Fri	35	38	49	51	48	46	48	54	61	75	85	86	89	73	52	43	39
Sat	36	36	37	40	44	45	50	51	53	55	56	52	50	49	45	43	39
Sun	36	36	36	37	37	46	46	53	53	56	52	50	51	46	47	44	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	43	51	50	42	44	50	47	52	58	75	85	82	72	47	39	36
Tue	35	40	58	58	43	44	47	49	53	59	78	90	87	79	57	42	36
Wed	36	39	56	56	45	41	45	46	50	59	68	74	71	65	55	43	37
Thu	35	39	56	55	45	45	51	54	58	66	82	87	88	79	55	42	38
Fri	35	38	49	51	48	46	48	54	61	75	85	86	89	73	52	43	39
Sat	36	36	37	40	44	45	50	51	53	55	56	52	50	49	45	43	39
Sun	36	36	36	37	37	46	46	53	53	56	52	50	51	46	47	44	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	43	51	50	42	44	50	47	52	58	75	85	82	72	47	39	36
Tue	35	40	58	58	43	44	47	49	53	59	78	90	87	79	57	42	36
Wed	36	39	56	56	45	41	45	46	50	59	68	74	71	65	55	43	37
Thu	35	39	56	55	45	45	51	54	58	66	82	87	88	79	55	42	38
Fri	35	38	49	51	48	46	48	54	61	75	85	86	89	73	52	43	39
Sat	36	36	37	40	44	45	50	51	53	55	56	52	50	49	45	43	39
Sun	36	36	36	37	37	46	46	53	53	56	52	50	51	46	47	44	39