Best Time to Drive from Sylmar to Santa Monica

Right now (7:49 pm PDT): about 26 minutes via I-405 South, usually 25 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 Sylmar 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	25	30	44	45	40	32	30	29	29	29	31	32	31	29	26	25	25
Tue	25	31	45	47	43	35	31	30	29	29	32	33	32	30	27	26	25
Wed	25	31	45	48	43	37	33	31	29	30	32	34	32	29	27	25	25
Thu	25	31	45	47	42	36	32	31	30	30	33	35	34	31	27	26	25
Fri	25	30	40	41	36	33	32	32	33	34	37	38	36	32	28	26	25
Sat	25	25	26	27	27	29	31	32	33	33	32	31	30	29	27	26	25
Sun	25	25	25	25	25	26	28	30	31	31	31	30	29	28	27	27	25

About this drive

On weekdays the 26-mile drive from Sylmar to Santa Monica (via I-405 South) usually takes as little as 25 minutes and up to 48 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 31 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (33 minutes).

About 23 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 7 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Sylmar 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 Sylmar to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 25 minutes then, versus up to 48 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 26-mile drive usually takes 25 to 48 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 31 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Sylmar to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 8 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 48 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 South in Los Angeles (20 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (3 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to Sylmar (return trip) · Sylmar to Los Angeles · Sylmar to Long Beach · Sylmar to Anaheim · Sylmar to Riverside · Sylmar to Santa Ana · Sylmar to Irvine · Sylmar to San Bernardino · Sylmar to Fontana · Sylmar to Oxnard · Sylmar to Huntington Beach · Sylmar to Glendale

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	30	44	45	40	32	30	29	29	29	31	32	31	29	26	25	25
Tue	25	31	45	47	43	35	31	30	29	29	32	33	32	30	27	26	25
Wed	25	31	45	48	43	37	33	31	29	30	32	34	32	29	27	25	25
Thu	25	31	45	47	42	36	32	31	30	30	33	35	34	31	27	26	25
Fri	25	30	40	41	36	33	32	32	33	34	37	38	36	32	28	26	25
Sat	25	25	26	27	27	29	31	32	33	33	32	31	30	29	27	26	25
Sun	25	25	25	25	25	26	28	30	31	31	31	30	29	28	27	27	25

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	30	44	45	40	32	30	29	29	29	31	32	31	29	26	25	25
Tue	25	31	45	47	43	35	31	30	29	29	32	33	32	30	27	26	25
Wed	25	31	45	48	43	37	33	31	29	30	32	34	32	29	27	25	25
Thu	25	31	45	47	42	36	32	31	30	30	33	35	34	31	27	26	25
Fri	25	30	40	41	36	33	32	32	33	34	37	38	36	32	28	26	25
Sat	25	25	26	27	27	29	31	32	33	33	32	31	30	29	27	26	25
Sun	25	25	25	25	25	26	28	30	31	31	31	30	29	28	27	27	25

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	25	30	44	45	40	32	30	29	29	29	31	32	31	29	26	25	25
Tue	25	31	45	47	43	35	31	30	29	29	32	33	32	30	27	26	25
Wed	25	31	45	48	43	37	33	31	29	30	32	34	32	29	27	25	25
Thu	25	31	45	47	42	36	32	31	30	30	33	35	34	31	27	26	25
Fri	25	30	40	41	36	33	32	32	33	34	37	38	36	32	28	26	25
Sat	25	25	26	27	27	29	31	32	33	33	32	31	30	29	27	26	25
Sun	25	25	25	25	25	26	28	30	31	31	31	30	29	28	27	27	25