Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks

Right now (3:03 pm PDT): about 54 minutes via US-101 North and I-405 North, usually 63 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 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	33	34	34	34	34	34	36	37	50	71	86	88	66	44	36	33
Tue	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	35	37	45	70	90	88	66	46	36	33
Wed	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	38	44	68	83	87	73	55	38	35
Thu	34	35	35	35	36	36	36	37	42	47	66	83	84	66	48	37	34
Fri	33	34	34	36	36	35	36	36	39	49	63	77	80	61	43	36	34
Sat	33	34	35	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	38	37	35	35	34	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	34	34	35	35	35	35	34	34	33

About this drive

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 93 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 12 pm or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 39 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.2 miles surface streets (2 to 3 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 Thousand Oaks 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 Thousand Oaks?

On weekdays, leave before 12 pm or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 93 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 93 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 39 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 93 minutes.

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	33	34	34	34	34	34	36	37	50	71	86	88	66	44	36	33
Tue	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	35	37	45	70	90	88	66	46	36	33
Wed	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	38	44	68	83	87	73	55	38	35
Thu	34	35	35	35	36	36	36	37	42	47	66	83	84	66	48	37	34
Fri	33	34	34	36	36	35	36	36	39	49	63	77	80	61	43	36	34
Sat	33	34	35	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	38	37	35	35	34	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	34	34	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	34	34	34	34	34	36	37	50	71	86	88	66	44	36	33
Tue	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	35	37	45	70	90	88	66	46	36	33
Wed	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	38	44	68	83	87	73	55	38	35
Thu	34	35	35	35	36	36	36	37	42	47	66	83	84	66	48	37	34
Fri	33	34	34	36	36	35	36	36	39	49	63	77	80	61	43	36	34
Sat	33	34	35	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	38	37	35	35	34	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	34	34	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	34	34	34	34	34	36	37	50	71	86	88	66	44	36	33
Tue	33	33	34	35	35	35	35	35	37	45	70	90	88	66	46	36	33
Wed	33	34	34	35	35	35	35	36	38	44	68	83	87	73	55	38	35
Thu	34	35	35	35	36	36	36	37	42	47	66	83	84	66	48	37	34
Fri	33	34	34	36	36	35	36	36	39	49	63	77	80	61	43	36	34
Sat	33	34	35	34	34	35	35	35	35	35	36	38	37	35	35	34	34
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	34	34	35	34	34	35	35	35	35	34	34	33