Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Simi Valley

Right now (12:02 am PDT): about 37 minutes via SR-118 West and I-405 North.

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 Simi Valley 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	38	38	38	39	39	39	41	43	47	81	124	140	119	84	54	42	38
Tue	38	38	39	39	39	39	41	43	47	75	135	152	128	93	61	43	38
Wed	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	42	49	69	123	144	130	99	68	45	40
Thu	40	40	40	41	42	41	43	46	58	72	114	138	119	88	62	44	39
Fri	38	38	39	41	41	41	42	43	52	74	106	127	109	78	52	42	39
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	40	41	41	41	42	43	47	44	41	40	39	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	38	39	41	40	40	41	41	41	41	40	39	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 41-mile drive from Santa Monica to Simi Valley (via SR-118 West and I-405 North) usually takes as little as 38 minutes and up to 152 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 51 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (47 minutes).

About 39 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.9 miles surface streets (3 to 12 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 Simi Valley (3rd Street) 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 Simi Valley?

On weekdays, leave before 11:30 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 38 minutes then, versus up to 152 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Simi Valley?

The 41-mile drive usually takes 38 to 152 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 51 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Simi Valley?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 152 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-118 West in Los Angeles (18 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (18 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Simi Valley 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	38	38	38	39	39	39	41	43	47	81	124	140	119	84	54	42	38
Tue	38	38	39	39	39	39	41	43	47	75	135	152	128	93	61	43	38
Wed	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	42	49	69	123	144	130	99	68	45	40
Thu	40	40	40	41	42	41	43	46	58	72	114	138	119	88	62	44	39
Fri	38	38	39	41	41	41	42	43	52	74	106	127	109	78	52	42	39
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	40	41	41	41	42	43	47	44	41	40	39	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	38	39	41	40	40	41	41	41	41	40	39	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	38	38	39	39	39	41	43	47	81	124	140	119	84	54	42	38
Tue	38	38	39	39	39	39	41	43	47	75	135	152	128	93	61	43	38
Wed	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	42	49	69	123	144	130	99	68	45	40
Thu	40	40	40	41	42	41	43	46	58	72	114	138	119	88	62	44	39
Fri	38	38	39	41	41	41	42	43	52	74	106	127	109	78	52	42	39
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	40	41	41	41	42	43	47	44	41	40	39	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	38	39	41	40	40	41	41	41	41	40	39	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	38	38	38	39	39	39	41	43	47	81	124	140	119	84	54	42	38
Tue	38	38	39	39	39	39	41	43	47	75	135	152	128	93	61	43	38
Wed	38	38	39	39	40	40	40	42	49	69	123	144	130	99	68	45	40
Thu	40	40	40	41	42	41	43	46	58	72	114	138	119	88	62	44	39
Fri	38	38	39	41	41	41	42	43	52	74	106	127	109	78	52	42	39
Sat	38	38	38	39	39	40	41	41	41	42	43	47	44	41	40	39	38
Sun	37	37	37	38	38	38	39	41	40	40	41	41	41	41	40	39	38