Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to La Mirada

Right now (12:51 am PDT): about 32 minutes via I-10 East and I-5 South.

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 La Mirada 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	33	37	44	44	38	40	50	46	52	62	91	99	97	78	47	35	31
Tue	30	33	52	53	38	39	44	47	51	63	98	112	104	90	59	39	31
Wed	31	33	51	50	41	36	41	43	49	61	73	86	78	69	55	40	32
Thu	30	33	48	48	38	42	49	53	59	80	103	108	102	89	55	39	34
Fri	31	32	45	49	45	43	46	54	67	93	102	105	107	82	53	42	34
Sat	31	31	32	35	40	42	48	49	52	56	58	57	52	49	42	40	35
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	42	41	51	51	54	51	49	48	43	45	41	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Santa Monica to La Mirada (via I-10 East and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 112 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 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (58 minutes).

About 27 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 22 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 La Mirada 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 La Mirada?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 112 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to La Mirada?

The 32-mile drive usually takes 30 to 112 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to La Mirada?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 112 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (11 miles)

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

More drives

La Mirada 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	33	37	44	44	38	40	50	46	52	62	91	99	97	78	47	35	31
Tue	30	33	52	53	38	39	44	47	51	63	98	112	104	90	59	39	31
Wed	31	33	51	50	41	36	41	43	49	61	73	86	78	69	55	40	32
Thu	30	33	48	48	38	42	49	53	59	80	103	108	102	89	55	39	34
Fri	31	32	45	49	45	43	46	54	67	93	102	105	107	82	53	42	34
Sat	31	31	32	35	40	42	48	49	52	56	58	57	52	49	42	40	35
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	42	41	51	51	54	51	49	48	43	45	41	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	37	44	44	38	40	50	46	52	62	91	99	97	78	47	35	31
Tue	30	33	52	53	38	39	44	47	51	63	98	112	104	90	59	39	31
Wed	31	33	51	50	41	36	41	43	49	61	73	86	78	69	55	40	32
Thu	30	33	48	48	38	42	49	53	59	80	103	108	102	89	55	39	34
Fri	31	32	45	49	45	43	46	54	67	93	102	105	107	82	53	42	34
Sat	31	31	32	35	40	42	48	49	52	56	58	57	52	49	42	40	35
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	42	41	51	51	54	51	49	48	43	45	41	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	37	44	44	38	40	50	46	52	62	91	99	97	78	47	35	31
Tue	30	33	52	53	38	39	44	47	51	63	98	112	104	90	59	39	31
Wed	31	33	51	50	41	36	41	43	49	61	73	86	78	69	55	40	32
Thu	30	33	48	48	38	42	49	53	59	80	103	108	102	89	55	39	34
Fri	31	32	45	49	45	43	46	54	67	93	102	105	107	82	53	42	34
Sat	31	31	32	35	40	42	48	49	52	56	58	57	52	49	42	40	35
Sun	31	31	31	31	32	42	41	51	51	54	51	49	48	43	45	41	35