Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Ontario

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 77 minutes via I-10 East, usually 79 at this time.

Only 25% 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 Ontario 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	48	50	52	54	53	55	55	56	59	87	123	131	128	95	67	55	49
Tue	48	50	52	55	53	54	55	57	59	99	122	137	131	110	82	60	49
Wed	48	50	53	57	53	56	55	57	63	90	137	139	130	109	83	66	49
Thu	49	50	52	56	53	54	54	56	63	95	131	139	130	110	89	71	52
Fri	49	50	52	56	55	55	58	65	86	103	125	118	112	86	68	61	50
Sat	49	49	50	51	51	52	52	55	57	65	64	63	62	56	53	54	49
Sun	49	49	49	50	50	51	51	52	52	53	52	52	52	52	53	53	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from Santa Monica to Ontario (via I-10 East) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 140 minutes, when leaving around 3:30 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 66 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (72 minutes).

About 51 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (4 to 7 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 Ontario (Holt Boulevard) 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 Ontario?

On weekdays, leave before 7:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 140 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 53-mile drive usually takes 48 to 140 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 66 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Ontario?

Leaving around 3:30 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 140 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (47 miles) · I-10 East in Inland Empire (3 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (1.3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow

More drives

Ontario 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	48	50	52	54	53	55	55	56	59	87	123	131	128	95	67	55	49
Tue	48	50	52	55	53	54	55	57	59	99	122	137	131	110	82	60	49
Wed	48	50	53	57	53	56	55	57	63	90	137	139	130	109	83	66	49
Thu	49	50	52	56	53	54	54	56	63	95	131	139	130	110	89	71	52
Fri	49	50	52	56	55	55	58	65	86	103	125	118	112	86	68	61	50
Sat	49	49	50	51	51	52	52	55	57	65	64	63	62	56	53	54	49
Sun	49	49	49	50	50	51	51	52	52	53	52	52	52	52	53	53	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	50	52	54	53	55	55	56	59	87	123	131	128	95	67	55	49
Tue	48	50	52	55	53	54	55	57	59	99	122	137	131	110	82	60	49
Wed	48	50	53	57	53	56	55	57	63	90	137	139	130	109	83	66	49
Thu	49	50	52	56	53	54	54	56	63	95	131	139	130	110	89	71	52
Fri	49	50	52	56	55	55	58	65	86	103	125	118	112	86	68	61	50
Sat	49	49	50	51	51	52	52	55	57	65	64	63	62	56	53	54	49
Sun	49	49	49	50	50	51	51	52	52	53	52	52	52	52	53	53	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	48	50	52	54	53	55	55	56	59	87	123	131	128	95	67	55	49
Tue	48	50	52	55	53	54	55	57	59	99	122	137	131	110	82	60	49
Wed	48	50	53	57	53	56	55	57	63	90	137	139	130	109	83	66	49
Thu	49	50	52	56	53	54	54	56	63	95	131	139	130	110	89	71	52
Fri	49	50	52	56	55	55	58	65	86	103	125	118	112	86	68	61	50
Sat	49	49	50	51	51	52	52	55	57	65	64	63	62	56	53	54	49
Sun	49	49	49	50	50	51	51	52	52	53	52	52	52	52	53	53	49