Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Mission Viejo

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 64 minutes via I-405 South, usually 67 at this time.

Only 13% 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 Mission Viejo 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	56	58	70	69	64	61	61	64	69	78	92	93	89	84	65	60	57
Tue	56	59	67	78	76	65	65	68	102	130	156	174	157	116	81	64	56
Wed	56	59	69	78	76	65	63	69	99	144	182	161	155	121	86	69	57
Thu	56	59	66	74	71	64	65	75	88	136	152	129	116	100	88	74	58
Fri	56	59	61	68	63	62	64	84	117	127	111	90	87	89	78	70	58
Sat	56	57	56	57	58	59	62	67	71	75	78	73	70	63	61	62	57
Sun	56	56	56	57	58	59	60	62	65	65	64	63	63	61	61	60	57

About this drive

On weekdays the 62-mile drive from Santa Monica to Mission Viejo (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 56 minutes and up to 182 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 88 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (82 minutes).

About 61 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.6 miles surface streets (2 to 4 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 Mission Viejo (Chrisanta Drive) 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 Mission Viejo?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 56 minutes then, versus up to 182 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Mission Viejo?

The 62-mile drive usually takes 56 to 182 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 88 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Mission Viejo?

Leaving around 3 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 182 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (26 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (4 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

Santa Monica to Mission Viejo over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Mission Viejo 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	56	58	70	69	64	61	61	64	69	78	92	93	89	84	65	60	57
Tue	56	59	67	78	76	65	65	68	102	130	156	174	157	116	81	64	56
Wed	56	59	69	78	76	65	63	69	99	144	182	161	155	121	86	69	57
Thu	56	59	66	74	71	64	65	75	88	136	152	129	116	100	88	74	58
Fri	56	59	61	68	63	62	64	84	117	127	111	90	87	89	78	70	58
Sat	56	57	56	57	58	59	62	67	71	75	78	73	70	63	61	62	57
Sun	56	56	56	57	58	59	60	62	65	65	64	63	63	61	61	60	57

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	58	70	69	64	61	61	64	69	78	92	93	89	84	65	60	57
Tue	56	59	67	78	76	65	65	68	102	130	156	174	157	116	81	64	56
Wed	56	59	69	78	76	65	63	69	99	144	182	161	155	121	86	69	57
Thu	56	59	66	74	71	64	65	75	88	136	152	129	116	100	88	74	58
Fri	56	59	61	68	63	62	64	84	117	127	111	90	87	89	78	70	58
Sat	56	57	56	57	58	59	62	67	71	75	78	73	70	63	61	62	57
Sun	56	56	56	57	58	59	60	62	65	65	64	63	63	61	61	60	57

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	56	58	70	69	64	61	61	64	69	78	92	93	89	84	65	60	57
Tue	56	59	67	78	76	65	65	68	102	130	156	174	157	116	81	64	56
Wed	56	59	69	78	76	65	63	69	99	144	182	161	155	121	86	69	57
Thu	56	59	66	74	71	64	65	75	88	136	152	129	116	100	88	74	58
Fri	56	59	61	68	63	62	64	84	117	127	111	90	87	89	78	70	58
Sat	56	57	56	57	58	59	62	67	71	75	78	73	70	63	61	62	57
Sun	56	56	56	57	58	59	60	62	65	65	64	63	63	61	61	60	57