Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Santa Clarita

Right now (9:18 pm PDT): about 33 minutes via I-405 North, usually 33 at this time.

Only 2% 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 Santa Clarita 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	33	33	33	34	34	34	35	37	41	69	106	124	113	78	48	36	33
Tue	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	37	40	59	104	128	111	79	53	37	33
Wed	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	36	42	55	100	120	118	92	62	39	35
Thu	34	34	35	36	36	36	37	40	50	60	94	120	109	81	54	39	34
Fri	33	33	34	37	37	36	37	37	44	61	91	111	103	71	46	37	34
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	36	36	37	41	38	36	35	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	35	35	35	35	35	35	35	34	34	33

About this drive

On weekdays the 33-mile drive from Santa Monica to Santa Clarita (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 128 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 11:30 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 29 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (7 to 26 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 Santa Clarita (Newhall Avenue) 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 Santa Clarita?

On weekdays, leave before 11:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 128 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 33-mile drive usually takes 33 to 128 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Santa Clarita?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 128 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (20 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (6 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clarita 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 Van Nuys · Santa Monica to Torrance · Santa Monica to Culver City · Santa Monica to El Monte · Santa Monica to Downey

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	33	33	34	34	34	35	37	41	69	106	124	113	78	48	36	33
Tue	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	37	40	59	104	128	111	79	53	37	33
Wed	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	36	42	55	100	120	118	92	62	39	35
Thu	34	34	35	36	36	36	37	40	50	60	94	120	109	81	54	39	34
Fri	33	33	34	37	37	36	37	37	44	61	91	111	103	71	46	37	34
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	36	36	37	41	38	36	35	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	35	35	35	35	35	35	35	34	34	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	33	33	34	34	34	35	37	41	69	106	124	113	78	48	36	33
Tue	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	37	40	59	104	128	111	79	53	37	33
Wed	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	36	42	55	100	120	118	92	62	39	35
Thu	34	34	35	36	36	36	37	40	50	60	94	120	109	81	54	39	34
Fri	33	33	34	37	37	36	37	37	44	61	91	111	103	71	46	37	34
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	36	36	37	41	38	36	35	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	35	35	35	35	35	35	35	34	34	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	33	33	34	34	34	35	37	41	69	106	124	113	78	48	36	33
Tue	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	37	40	59	104	128	111	79	53	37	33
Wed	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	36	42	55	100	120	118	92	62	39	35
Thu	34	34	35	36	36	36	37	40	50	60	94	120	109	81	54	39	34
Fri	33	33	34	37	37	36	37	37	44	61	91	111	103	71	46	37	34
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	34	35	35	36	36	37	41	38	36	35	34	33
Sun	32	32	32	33	33	33	33	35	35	35	35	35	35	35	34	34	33