Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Long Beach

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 42 minutes via I-405 South, usually 44 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

Minutes from Santa Monica to Long Beach 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	29	30	31	34	35	34	34	35	38	45	52	57	55	47	37	32	29
Tue	29	29	32	36	36	34	34	35	39	48	59	67	67	57	42	34	30
Wed	29	29	32	36	37	35	34	36	40	50	61	68	66	58	44	36	30
Thu	29	30	32	36	37	35	35	37	42	52	64	71	68	59	46	38	31
Fri	29	29	31	34	35	35	37	41	47	56	62	63	58	51	43	37	31
Sat	29	29	29	30	31	32	35	38	40	42	43	44	43	41	37	34	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	29	30	32	33	35	35	36	36	36	36	34	33	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Santa Monica to Long Beach (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 71 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (44 minutes).

About 28 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (4 to 8 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from downtown Santa Monica to downtown Long Beach (Pacific Avenue) 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 Long Beach?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 71 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Long Beach?

The 30-mile drive usually takes 29 to 71 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Long Beach?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 71 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (23 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (3 miles) · I-710 South in Los Angeles (1.9 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Long Beach to Santa Monica (return trip) · Santa Monica to Los Angeles · Santa Monica to Pasadena · 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 · 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	29	30	31	34	35	34	34	35	38	45	52	57	55	47	37	32	29
Tue	29	29	32	36	36	34	34	35	39	48	59	67	67	57	42	34	30
Wed	29	29	32	36	37	35	34	36	40	50	61	68	66	58	44	36	30
Thu	29	30	32	36	37	35	35	37	42	52	64	71	68	59	46	38	31
Fri	29	29	31	34	35	35	37	41	47	56	62	63	58	51	43	37	31
Sat	29	29	29	30	31	32	35	38	40	42	43	44	43	41	37	34	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	29	30	32	33	35	35	36	36	36	36	34	33	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	31	34	35	34	34	35	38	45	52	57	55	47	37	32	29
Tue	29	29	32	36	36	34	34	35	39	48	59	67	67	57	42	34	30
Wed	29	29	32	36	37	35	34	36	40	50	61	68	66	58	44	36	30
Thu	29	30	32	36	37	35	35	37	42	52	64	71	68	59	46	38	31
Fri	29	29	31	34	35	35	37	41	47	56	62	63	58	51	43	37	31
Sat	29	29	29	30	31	32	35	38	40	42	43	44	43	41	37	34	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	29	30	32	33	35	35	36	36	36	36	34	33	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	31	34	35	34	34	35	38	45	52	57	55	47	37	32	29
Tue	29	29	32	36	36	34	34	35	39	48	59	67	67	57	42	34	30
Wed	29	29	32	36	37	35	34	36	40	50	61	68	66	58	44	36	30
Thu	29	30	32	36	37	35	35	37	42	52	64	71	68	59	46	38	31
Fri	29	29	31	34	35	35	37	41	47	56	62	63	58	51	43	37	31
Sat	29	29	29	30	31	32	35	38	40	42	43	44	43	41	37	34	30
Sun	29	29	29	29	29	30	32	33	35	35	36	36	36	36	34	33	30