Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks

Right now (3:50 pm PST): about 56 minutes via US-101 North and I-405 North, usually 113 at this time.

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.

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	34	34	35	37	36	36	36	37	41	58	93	112	104	76	47	37	34
Tue	34	34	36	37	37	36	36	38	41	56	95	116	105	78	53	38	35
Wed	34	34	35	37	37	36	36	37	41	55	88	114	110	87	58	39	35
Thu	35	35	37	38	39	37	38	40	46	54	84	113	101	76	53	39	35
Fri	34	34	35	38	38	37	37	38	43	59	87	101	92	67	45	37	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	35	36	36	36	37	38	41	38	37	36	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	34	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	37	36	36	36	36	35

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 34 minutes and up to 116 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 8 am or after 8:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 4:30 pm on Saturdays (41 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 5 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 8 am or after 8:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 116 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 37-mile drive usually takes 34 to 116 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Thousand Oaks?

Leaving around 4 pm on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 116 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	34	34	35	37	36	36	36	37	41	58	93	112	104	76	47	37	34
Tue	34	34	36	37	37	36	36	38	41	56	95	116	105	78	53	38	35
Wed	34	34	35	37	37	36	36	37	41	55	88	114	110	87	58	39	35
Thu	35	35	37	38	39	37	38	40	46	54	84	113	101	76	53	39	35
Fri	34	34	35	38	38	37	37	38	43	59	87	101	92	67	45	37	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	35	36	36	36	37	38	41	38	37	36	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	34	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	37	36	36	36	36	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	34	35	37	36	36	36	37	41	58	93	112	104	76	47	37	34
Tue	34	34	36	37	37	36	36	38	41	56	95	116	105	78	53	38	35
Wed	34	34	35	37	37	36	36	37	41	55	88	114	110	87	58	39	35
Thu	35	35	37	38	39	37	38	40	46	54	84	113	101	76	53	39	35
Fri	34	34	35	38	38	37	37	38	43	59	87	101	92	67	45	37	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	35	36	36	36	37	38	41	38	37	36	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	34	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	37	36	36	36	36	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	34	34	35	37	36	36	36	37	41	58	93	112	104	76	47	37	34
Tue	34	34	36	37	37	36	36	38	41	56	95	116	105	78	53	38	35
Wed	34	34	35	37	37	36	36	37	41	55	88	114	110	87	58	39	35
Thu	35	35	37	38	39	37	38	40	46	54	84	113	101	76	53	39	35
Fri	34	34	35	38	38	37	37	38	43	59	87	101	92	67	45	37	35
Sat	34	34	34	35	35	35	36	36	36	37	38	41	38	37	36	35	34
Sun	33	33	33	34	34	34	35	36	36	36	36	37	36	36	36	36	35