Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Placentia

Right now (6:50 pm PDT): about 70 minutes via I-5 South and I-10 East, usually 55 at this time.

Only 3% 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 Placentia 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	39	46	54	54	46	46	54	50	56	62	80	88	86	74	50	42	39
Tue	38	42	61	60	47	48	50	53	58	63	83	94	90	83	59	45	38
Wed	38	42	59	59	49	45	49	51	54	62	71	77	74	68	57	46	40
Thu	38	42	59	58	49	49	55	58	63	69	87	91	91	82	58	45	41
Fri	38	41	52	54	52	50	52	59	66	79	89	89	91	77	55	46	42
Sat	39	39	40	44	48	48	54	55	57	59	61	58	54	52	48	46	42
Sun	38	39	38	40	40	49	49	56	56	58	56	54	53	48	50	47	42

About this drive

On weekdays the 44-mile drive from Santa Monica to Placentia (via I-5 South and I-10 East) usually takes as little as 38 minutes and up to 94 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 58 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (61 minutes).

About 43 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.3 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 Placentia 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 Placentia?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 38 minutes then, versus up to 94 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 44-mile drive usually takes 38 to 94 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 58 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Placentia?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 94 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · SR-91 East in Orange County (6 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (6 miles) · SR-57 North in Orange County (1.5 miles)

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

More drives

Placentia 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	39	46	54	54	46	46	54	50	56	62	80	88	86	74	50	42	39
Tue	38	42	61	60	47	48	50	53	58	63	83	94	90	83	59	45	38
Wed	38	42	59	59	49	45	49	51	54	62	71	77	74	68	57	46	40
Thu	38	42	59	58	49	49	55	58	63	69	87	91	91	82	58	45	41
Fri	38	41	52	54	52	50	52	59	66	79	89	89	91	77	55	46	42
Sat	39	39	40	44	48	48	54	55	57	59	61	58	54	52	48	46	42
Sun	38	39	38	40	40	49	49	56	56	58	56	54	53	48	50	47	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	46	54	54	46	46	54	50	56	62	80	88	86	74	50	42	39
Tue	38	42	61	60	47	48	50	53	58	63	83	94	90	83	59	45	38
Wed	38	42	59	59	49	45	49	51	54	62	71	77	74	68	57	46	40
Thu	38	42	59	58	49	49	55	58	63	69	87	91	91	82	58	45	41
Fri	38	41	52	54	52	50	52	59	66	79	89	89	91	77	55	46	42
Sat	39	39	40	44	48	48	54	55	57	59	61	58	54	52	48	46	42
Sun	38	39	38	40	40	49	49	56	56	58	56	54	53	48	50	47	42

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	39	46	54	54	46	46	54	50	56	62	80	88	86	74	50	42	39
Tue	38	42	61	60	47	48	50	53	58	63	83	94	90	83	59	45	38
Wed	38	42	59	59	49	45	49	51	54	62	71	77	74	68	57	46	40
Thu	38	42	59	58	49	49	55	58	63	69	87	91	91	82	58	45	41
Fri	38	41	52	54	52	50	52	59	66	79	89	89	91	77	55	46	42
Sat	39	39	40	44	48	48	54	55	57	59	61	58	54	52	48	46	42
Sun	38	39	38	40	40	49	49	56	56	58	56	54	53	48	50	47	42