Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to LAX
Right now (2:19 pm PDT): about 27 minutes via I-405 South and I-10 East, usually 27 at this time.
None 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 16 | 17 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 33 | 35 | 31 | 22 | 18 | 16 |
| Tue | 16 | 18 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 32 | 39 | 42 | 38 | 27 | 20 | 17 |
| Wed | 16 | 18 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 38 | 41 | 38 | 29 | 23 | 17 |
| Thu | 16 | 18 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 35 | 41 | 44 | 40 | 31 | 25 | 18 |
| Fri | 16 | 17 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 39 | 40 | 37 | 30 | 25 | 18 |
| Sat | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 29 | 25 | 21 | 18 |
| Sun | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 18 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 12-mile drive from Santa Monica to LAX (via I-405 South and I-10 East) usually takes as little as 16 minutes and up to 44 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 26 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (34 minutes).
About 7 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (10 to 20 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Santa Monica to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 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 LAX?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 16 minutes then, versus up to 44 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to LAX?
The 12-mile drive usually takes 16 to 44 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 26 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to LAX?
Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 44 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-405 South in Los Angeles (4 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (3 miles)
Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow
More drives
LAX 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