Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Glendale

Right now (5:50 am PST): about 23 minutes via I-10 East and I-110 North and I-5 North, usually 40 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 Glendale 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	21	43	68	73	75	70	62	59	62	61	58	61	58	51	44	25	22
Tue	21	41	61	65	78	71	55	55	49	54	56	61	60	53	48	30	22
Wed	20	38	55	60	72	68	62	53	53	54	55	57	60	57	52	37	23
Thu	21	39	59	61	73	64	55	56	59	56	54	57	58	56	53	39	24
Fri	21	40	58	65	67	59	57	56	58	55	53	57	55	50	54	46	24
Sat	22	22	25	29	36	51	58	52	59	60	61	61	60	61	66	48	26
Sun	22	22	22	23	23	28	46	56	61	67	70	66	62	62	54	44	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 24-mile drive from Santa Monica to Glendale (via I-10 East and I-110 North and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 20 minutes and up to 78 minutes, when leaving around 9 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (72 minutes).

About 22 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 9 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 Glendale (South Brand Boulevard) 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 Glendale?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am. The drive usually takes about 20 minutes then, versus up to 78 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 24-mile drive usually takes 20 to 78 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Glendale?

Leaving around 9 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 78 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-110 North in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Glendale 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 Santa Clarita · Santa Monica to Van Nuys · Santa Monica to Torrance · Santa Monica to Culver City · Santa Monica to El Monte · Santa Monica to Downey

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	43	68	73	75	70	62	59	62	61	58	61	58	51	44	25	22
Tue	21	41	61	65	78	71	55	55	49	54	56	61	60	53	48	30	22
Wed	20	38	55	60	72	68	62	53	53	54	55	57	60	57	52	37	23
Thu	21	39	59	61	73	64	55	56	59	56	54	57	58	56	53	39	24
Fri	21	40	58	65	67	59	57	56	58	55	53	57	55	50	54	46	24
Sat	22	22	25	29	36	51	58	52	59	60	61	61	60	61	66	48	26
Sun	22	22	22	23	23	28	46	56	61	67	70	66	62	62	54	44	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	43	68	73	75	70	62	59	62	61	58	61	58	51	44	25	22
Tue	21	41	61	65	78	71	55	55	49	54	56	61	60	53	48	30	22
Wed	20	38	55	60	72	68	62	53	53	54	55	57	60	57	52	37	23
Thu	21	39	59	61	73	64	55	56	59	56	54	57	58	56	53	39	24
Fri	21	40	58	65	67	59	57	56	58	55	53	57	55	50	54	46	24
Sat	22	22	25	29	36	51	58	52	59	60	61	61	60	61	66	48	26
Sun	22	22	22	23	23	28	46	56	61	67	70	66	62	62	54	44	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	21	43	68	73	75	70	62	59	62	61	58	61	58	51	44	25	22
Tue	21	41	61	65	78	71	55	55	49	54	56	61	60	53	48	30	22
Wed	20	38	55	60	72	68	62	53	53	54	55	57	60	57	52	37	23
Thu	21	39	59	61	73	64	55	56	59	56	54	57	58	56	53	39	24
Fri	21	40	58	65	67	59	57	56	58	55	53	57	55	50	54	46	24
Sat	22	22	25	29	36	51	58	52	59	60	61	61	60	61	66	48	26
Sun	22	22	22	23	23	28	46	56	61	67	70	66	62	62	54	44	30