Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks

Right now (11:02 pm PDT): about 33 minutes via US-101 North and I-405 North.

Only 1% 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.

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks (via US-101 North and I-405 North) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 61 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am or after 8 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 40 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (45 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Thousand Oaks to Santa Monica

Freeway, about 35 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 1.2 miles: about 2 minutes, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from downtown Santa Monica to central Thousand Oaks along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks 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	34	37	41	40	38	38	38	38	41	48	54	54	47	38	35	33
Tue	33	34	37	42	40	38	38	38	39	42	49	56	56	49	40	35	33
Wed	33	34	37	42	41	39	39	39	40	43	51	58	57	51	41	36	34
Thu	33	35	38	42	41	39	39	40	41	45	52	60	60	52	42	36	34
Fri	33	35	37	41	40	40	40	42	44	49	55	61	58	49	41	36	34
Sat	33	33	34	35	36	38	41	43	43	44	44	45	44	41	38	36	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	39	41	42	42	41	41	39	38	37	34

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 Thousand Oaks?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am or after 8 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 61 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 33 to 61 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 40 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 61 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

US-101 North in Los Angeles (23 miles) · I-405 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-10 East in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Thousand Oaks 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	33	34	37	41	40	38	38	38	38	41	48	54	54	47	38	35	33
Tue	33	34	37	42	40	38	38	38	39	42	49	56	56	49	40	35	33
Wed	33	34	37	42	41	39	39	39	40	43	51	58	57	51	41	36	34
Thu	33	35	38	42	41	39	39	40	41	45	52	60	60	52	42	36	34
Fri	33	35	37	41	40	40	40	42	44	49	55	61	58	49	41	36	34
Sat	33	33	34	35	36	38	41	43	43	44	44	45	44	41	38	36	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	39	41	42	42	41	41	39	38	37	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	37	41	40	38	38	38	38	41	48	54	54	47	38	35	33
Tue	33	34	37	42	40	38	38	38	39	42	49	56	56	49	40	35	33
Wed	33	34	37	42	41	39	39	39	40	43	51	58	57	51	41	36	34
Thu	33	35	38	42	41	39	39	40	41	45	52	60	60	52	42	36	34
Fri	33	35	37	41	40	40	40	42	44	49	55	61	58	49	41	36	34
Sat	33	33	34	35	36	38	41	43	43	44	44	45	44	41	38	36	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	39	41	42	42	41	41	39	38	37	34

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	34	37	41	40	38	38	38	38	41	48	54	54	47	38	35	33
Tue	33	34	37	42	40	38	38	38	39	42	49	56	56	49	40	35	33
Wed	33	34	37	42	41	39	39	39	40	43	51	58	57	51	41	36	34
Thu	33	35	38	42	41	39	39	40	41	45	52	60	60	52	42	36	34
Fri	33	35	37	41	40	40	40	42	44	49	55	61	58	49	41	36	34
Sat	33	33	34	35	36	38	41	43	43	44	44	45	44	41	38	36	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	34	35	37	39	41	42	42	41	41	39	38	37	34