Best Time to Drive from SNA to Santa Monica

Right now (2:51 pm PST): about 63 minutes via I-405 North, usually 64 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 SNA to Santa Monica 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	43	60	75	69	68	63	57	58	57	54	53	53	57	54	48	48	44
Tue	43	85	120	109	91	79	68	60	57	55	56	57	64	60	50	49	46
Wed	43	79	128	117	92	80	69	63	61	63	61	63	67	61	55	55	46
Thu	42	80	115	101	82	79	65	63	55	59	57	65	67	61	52	50	45
Fri	43	78	103	81	73	64	73	66	62	63	58	55	51	54	50	48	45
Sat	44	45	46	49	53	58	66	64	69	68	64	63	59	56	56	52	45
Sun	44	45	46	46	47	51	58	60	74	69	68	56	57	55	52	51	44

About this drive

On weekdays the 49-mile drive from SNA to Santa Monica (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 42 minutes and up to 128 minutes, when leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 61 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Sundays (74 minutes).

About 47 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 2 miles surface streets (3 to 5 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA) (Paularino Avenue) to downtown Santa Monica 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 SNA to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 42 minutes then, versus up to 128 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from SNA to Santa Monica?

The 49-mile drive usually takes 42 to 128 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from SNA to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 128 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (16 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)

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

SNA to Santa Monica over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Santa Monica to SNA (return trip) · SNA to Los Angeles · SNA to Pasadena · SNA to Long Beach · SNA to West Covina · SNA to Burbank · SNA to Glendale · SNA to Santa Clarita · SNA to Van Nuys · SNA to Torrance · SNA to LAX · SNA to Hollywood

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	60	75	69	68	63	57	58	57	54	53	53	57	54	48	48	44
Tue	43	85	120	109	91	79	68	60	57	55	56	57	64	60	50	49	46
Wed	43	79	128	117	92	80	69	63	61	63	61	63	67	61	55	55	46
Thu	42	80	115	101	82	79	65	63	55	59	57	65	67	61	52	50	45
Fri	43	78	103	81	73	64	73	66	62	63	58	55	51	54	50	48	45
Sat	44	45	46	49	53	58	66	64	69	68	64	63	59	56	56	52	45
Sun	44	45	46	46	47	51	58	60	74	69	68	56	57	55	52	51	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	60	75	69	68	63	57	58	57	54	53	53	57	54	48	48	44
Tue	43	85	120	109	91	79	68	60	57	55	56	57	64	60	50	49	46
Wed	43	79	128	117	92	80	69	63	61	63	61	63	67	61	55	55	46
Thu	42	80	115	101	82	79	65	63	55	59	57	65	67	61	52	50	45
Fri	43	78	103	81	73	64	73	66	62	63	58	55	51	54	50	48	45
Sat	44	45	46	49	53	58	66	64	69	68	64	63	59	56	56	52	45
Sun	44	45	46	46	47	51	58	60	74	69	68	56	57	55	52	51	44

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	60	75	69	68	63	57	58	57	54	53	53	57	54	48	48	44
Tue	43	85	120	109	91	79	68	60	57	55	56	57	64	60	50	49	46
Wed	43	79	128	117	92	80	69	63	61	63	61	63	67	61	55	55	46
Thu	42	80	115	101	82	79	65	63	55	59	57	65	67	61	52	50	45
Fri	43	78	103	81	73	64	73	66	62	63	58	55	51	54	50	48	45
Sat	44	45	46	49	53	58	66	64	69	68	64	63	59	56	56	52	45
Sun	44	45	46	46	47	51	58	60	74	69	68	56	57	55	52	51	44