Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Los Angeles
Right now (4:18 pm PDT): about 51 minutes via I-10 East, usually 50 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 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 28 | 35 | 42 | 42 | 34 | 25 | 20 | 17 |
| Tue | 16 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 29 | 40 | 48 | 48 | 39 | 29 | 22 | 18 |
| Wed | 16 | 18 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 31 | 42 | 50 | 50 | 40 | 30 | 23 | 18 |
| Thu | 16 | 18 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 32 | 42 | 49 | 49 | 41 | 30 | 24 | 19 |
| Fri | 16 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 30 | 37 | 45 | 49 | 47 | 39 | 30 | 24 | 19 |
| Sat | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 23 | 19 |
| Sun | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 18 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 16-mile drive from Santa Monica to Los Angeles (via I-10 East) usually takes as little as 16 minutes and up to 51 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 25 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 pm on Saturdays (30 minutes).
About 13 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 14 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 LA (City Hall) (West 1st Street) 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 Los Angeles?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am. The drive usually takes about 16 minutes then, versus up to 51 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Los Angeles?
The 16-mile drive usually takes 16 to 51 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 25 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Los Angeles?
Leaving around 4:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 51 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-10 East in Los Angeles (13 miles)
Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow
More drives
Los Angeles to Santa Monica (return trip) · 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 · Santa Monica to Downey