Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to San Pedro

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 39 minutes via I-405 South, usually 46 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

Minutes from Santa Monica to San Pedro 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	26	26	26	29	30	29	29	31	38	48	64	63	62	55	33	28	26
Tue	26	26	26	36	41	33	32	37	78	110	130	151	131	87	51	33	26
Wed	26	26	26	38	38	30	31	38	77	124	153	139	131	93	57	39	27
Thu	26	26	26	34	37	30	33	45	63	116	130	103	89	71	60	45	28
Fri	26	26	26	33	30	30	34	63	97	106	84	61	59	59	47	40	28
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	29	33	38	42	47	49	44	42	33	32	31	27
Sun	26	26	26	26	27	28	29	30	34	34	34	32	33	31	31	30	27

About this drive

On weekdays the 29-mile drive from Santa Monica to San Pedro (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 26 minutes and up to 153 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 61 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (55 minutes).

About 27 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.6 miles surface streets (2 to 6 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 San Pedro 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 San Pedro?

On weekdays, leave before 8 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 26 minutes then, versus up to 153 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to San Pedro?

The 29-mile drive usually takes 26 to 153 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to San Pedro?

Leaving around 3 pm on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 153 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (19 miles) · I-110 South in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

San Pedro 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	26	26	26	29	30	29	29	31	38	48	64	63	62	55	33	28	26
Tue	26	26	26	36	41	33	32	37	78	110	130	151	131	87	51	33	26
Wed	26	26	26	38	38	30	31	38	77	124	153	139	131	93	57	39	27
Thu	26	26	26	34	37	30	33	45	63	116	130	103	89	71	60	45	28
Fri	26	26	26	33	30	30	34	63	97	106	84	61	59	59	47	40	28
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	29	33	38	42	47	49	44	42	33	32	31	27
Sun	26	26	26	26	27	28	29	30	34	34	34	32	33	31	31	30	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	26	26	29	30	29	29	31	38	48	64	63	62	55	33	28	26
Tue	26	26	26	36	41	33	32	37	78	110	130	151	131	87	51	33	26
Wed	26	26	26	38	38	30	31	38	77	124	153	139	131	93	57	39	27
Thu	26	26	26	34	37	30	33	45	63	116	130	103	89	71	60	45	28
Fri	26	26	26	33	30	30	34	63	97	106	84	61	59	59	47	40	28
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	29	33	38	42	47	49	44	42	33	32	31	27
Sun	26	26	26	26	27	28	29	30	34	34	34	32	33	31	31	30	27

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	26	26	26	29	30	29	29	31	38	48	64	63	62	55	33	28	26
Tue	26	26	26	36	41	33	32	37	78	110	130	151	131	87	51	33	26
Wed	26	26	26	38	38	30	31	38	77	124	153	139	131	93	57	39	27
Thu	26	26	26	34	37	30	33	45	63	116	130	103	89	71	60	45	28
Fri	26	26	26	33	30	30	34	63	97	106	84	61	59	59	47	40	28
Sat	27	27	26	27	27	29	33	38	42	47	49	44	42	33	32	31	27
Sun	26	26	26	26	27	28	29	30	34	34	34	32	33	31	31	30	27