Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to South Gate

Right now (7:48 pm PDT): about 37 minutes via I-10 East, usually 30 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 South Gate 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	25	29	33	36	36	33	31	31	34	41	50	60	64	53	37	30	25
Tue	24	27	33	36	37	34	32	32	36	44	56	70	75	59	41	32	25
Wed	24	27	33	36	37	35	33	33	37	45	58	71	76	62	42	32	26
Thu	24	27	33	37	37	34	33	35	37	46	59	71	77	63	43	33	26
Fri	24	27	31	33	34	32	33	37	42	51	59	67	69	58	43	34	26
Sat	24	24	24	26	27	29	32	36	41	41	42	42	42	41	36	31	26
Sun	24	24	24	24	25	25	27	29	32	35	34	33	32	33	30	28	25

About this drive

On weekdays the 21-mile drive from Santa Monica to South Gate (via I-10 East) usually takes as little as 24 minutes and up to 77 minutes, when leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 37 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (43 minutes).

About 15 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (11 to 36 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 South Gate 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 South Gate?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 24 minutes then, versus up to 77 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to South Gate?

The 21-mile drive usually takes 24 to 77 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 37 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to South Gate?

Leaving around 5 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 77 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (15 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

South Gate 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	25	29	33	36	36	33	31	31	34	41	50	60	64	53	37	30	25
Tue	24	27	33	36	37	34	32	32	36	44	56	70	75	59	41	32	25
Wed	24	27	33	36	37	35	33	33	37	45	58	71	76	62	42	32	26
Thu	24	27	33	37	37	34	33	35	37	46	59	71	77	63	43	33	26
Fri	24	27	31	33	34	32	33	37	42	51	59	67	69	58	43	34	26
Sat	24	24	24	26	27	29	32	36	41	41	42	42	42	41	36	31	26
Sun	24	24	24	24	25	25	27	29	32	35	34	33	32	33	30	28	25

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	29	33	36	36	33	31	31	34	41	50	60	64	53	37	30	25
Tue	24	27	33	36	37	34	32	32	36	44	56	70	75	59	41	32	25
Wed	24	27	33	36	37	35	33	33	37	45	58	71	76	62	42	32	26
Thu	24	27	33	37	37	34	33	35	37	46	59	71	77	63	43	33	26
Fri	24	27	31	33	34	32	33	37	42	51	59	67	69	58	43	34	26
Sat	24	24	24	26	27	29	32	36	41	41	42	42	42	41	36	31	26
Sun	24	24	24	24	25	25	27	29	32	35	34	33	32	33	30	28	25

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	29	33	36	36	33	31	31	34	41	50	60	64	53	37	30	25
Tue	24	27	33	36	37	34	32	32	36	44	56	70	75	59	41	32	25
Wed	24	27	33	36	37	35	33	33	37	45	58	71	76	62	42	32	26
Thu	24	27	33	37	37	34	33	35	37	46	59	71	77	63	43	33	26
Fri	24	27	31	33	34	32	33	37	42	51	59	67	69	58	43	34	26
Sat	24	24	24	26	27	29	32	36	41	41	42	42	42	41	36	31	26
Sun	24	24	24	24	25	25	27	29	32	35	34	33	32	33	30	28	25