Best Time to Drive from Santa Monica to Yorba Linda

Right now (7:05 pm PDT): about 61 minutes via I-5 South and I-10 East and SR-91 East, usually 53 at this time.

Only 12% 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 Yorba Linda 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	45	52	63	61	52	53	61	58	63	70	89	98	93	80	56	48	45
Tue	44	50	69	68	54	54	57	60	64	73	92	100	97	87	64	51	45
Wed	44	49	67	66	55	52	56	59	62	71	80	89	83	74	63	53	46
Thu	44	50	71	68	57	57	63	65	70	78	96	103	100	88	63	51	47
Fri	44	48	62	63	60	58	60	66	75	90	100	98	96	83	61	52	48
Sat	45	46	47	50	55	55	60	61	63	66	68	63	60	57	53	52	47
Sun	44	45	44	46	46	55	55	63	61	64	61	60	59	54	56	54	48

About this drive

On weekdays the 50-mile drive from Santa Monica to Yorba Linda (via I-5 South and I-10 East and SR-91 East) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 103 minutes, when leaving around 4 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 65 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (68 minutes).

About 48 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 6 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 Yorba Linda 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 Yorba Linda?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 103 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Santa Monica to Yorba Linda?

The 50-mile drive usually takes 44 to 103 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 65 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Santa Monica to Yorba Linda?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 103 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (16 miles) · SR-91 East in Orange County (13 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (13 miles) · I-5 South in Orange County (6 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Yorba Linda 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	45	52	63	61	52	53	61	58	63	70	89	98	93	80	56	48	45
Tue	44	50	69	68	54	54	57	60	64	73	92	100	97	87	64	51	45
Wed	44	49	67	66	55	52	56	59	62	71	80	89	83	74	63	53	46
Thu	44	50	71	68	57	57	63	65	70	78	96	103	100	88	63	51	47
Fri	44	48	62	63	60	58	60	66	75	90	100	98	96	83	61	52	48
Sat	45	46	47	50	55	55	60	61	63	66	68	63	60	57	53	52	47
Sun	44	45	44	46	46	55	55	63	61	64	61	60	59	54	56	54	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	52	63	61	52	53	61	58	63	70	89	98	93	80	56	48	45
Tue	44	50	69	68	54	54	57	60	64	73	92	100	97	87	64	51	45
Wed	44	49	67	66	55	52	56	59	62	71	80	89	83	74	63	53	46
Thu	44	50	71	68	57	57	63	65	70	78	96	103	100	88	63	51	47
Fri	44	48	62	63	60	58	60	66	75	90	100	98	96	83	61	52	48
Sat	45	46	47	50	55	55	60	61	63	66	68	63	60	57	53	52	47
Sun	44	45	44	46	46	55	55	63	61	64	61	60	59	54	56	54	48

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	52	63	61	52	53	61	58	63	70	89	98	93	80	56	48	45
Tue	44	50	69	68	54	54	57	60	64	73	92	100	97	87	64	51	45
Wed	44	49	67	66	55	52	56	59	62	71	80	89	83	74	63	53	46
Thu	44	50	71	68	57	57	63	65	70	78	96	103	100	88	63	51	47
Fri	44	48	62	63	60	58	60	66	75	90	100	98	96	83	61	52	48
Sat	45	46	47	50	55	55	60	61	63	66	68	63	60	57	53	52	47
Sun	44	45	44	46	46	55	55	63	61	64	61	60	59	54	56	54	48