Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Norwalk

Right now (5:51 pm PDT): about 40 minutes via I-10 East and I-5 South, usually 40 at this time.

Only 4% 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 Norwalk 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	31	34	40	41	35	37	46	43	49	59	90	99	97	78	45	32	29
Tue	28	31	47	48	36	36	41	44	47	58	96	106	102	88	56	38	28
Wed	28	30	51	50	37	33	38	42	46	68	82	90	86	79	58	39	28
Thu	28	30	47	47	36	39	45	50	57	78	100	107	104	90	52	36	31
Fri	28	29	44	49	44	41	45	51	65	90	99	101	104	81	52	39	31
Sat	29	28	29	33	40	40	46	48	51	55	60	57	50	47	40	38	32
Sun	28	28	28	29	29	39	39	49	49	53	49	47	45	40	42	38	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 31-mile drive from Santa Monica to Norwalk (via I-10 East and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 107 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 52 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (60 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 10 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 Norwalk 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 Norwalk?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 107 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Norwalk?

The 31-mile drive usually takes 27 to 107 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 52 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Norwalk?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 107 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (12 miles)

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

More drives

Norwalk 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	31	34	40	41	35	37	46	43	49	59	90	99	97	78	45	32	29
Tue	28	31	47	48	36	36	41	44	47	58	96	106	102	88	56	38	28
Wed	28	30	51	50	37	33	38	42	46	68	82	90	86	79	58	39	28
Thu	28	30	47	47	36	39	45	50	57	78	100	107	104	90	52	36	31
Fri	28	29	44	49	44	41	45	51	65	90	99	101	104	81	52	39	31
Sat	29	28	29	33	40	40	46	48	51	55	60	57	50	47	40	38	32
Sun	28	28	28	29	29	39	39	49	49	53	49	47	45	40	42	38	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	34	40	41	35	37	46	43	49	59	90	99	97	78	45	32	29
Tue	28	31	47	48	36	36	41	44	47	58	96	106	102	88	56	38	28
Wed	28	30	51	50	37	33	38	42	46	68	82	90	86	79	58	39	28
Thu	28	30	47	47	36	39	45	50	57	78	100	107	104	90	52	36	31
Fri	28	29	44	49	44	41	45	51	65	90	99	101	104	81	52	39	31
Sat	29	28	29	33	40	40	46	48	51	55	60	57	50	47	40	38	32
Sun	28	28	28	29	29	39	39	49	49	53	49	47	45	40	42	38	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	31	34	40	41	35	37	46	43	49	59	90	99	97	78	45	32	29
Tue	28	31	47	48	36	36	41	44	47	58	96	106	102	88	56	38	28
Wed	28	30	51	50	37	33	38	42	46	68	82	90	86	79	58	39	28
Thu	28	30	47	47	36	39	45	50	57	78	100	107	104	90	52	36	31
Fri	28	29	44	49	44	41	45	51	65	90	99	101	104	81	52	39	31
Sat	29	28	29	33	40	40	46	48	51	55	60	57	50	47	40	38	32
Sun	28	28	28	29	29	39	39	49	49	53	49	47	45	40	42	38	32