Best Time to Drive from Temecula to Santa Monica

Right now (6:03 pm PDT): about 157 minutes via I-15 North and SR-60 West, usually 99 at this time.

Only 44% 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 Temecula 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	158	189	193	167	143	137	120	107	104	104	103	104	100	96	93	91	92
Tue	150	182	174	162	142	133	117	108	104	108	112	112	106	97	95	94	89
Wed	159	172	185	164	141	134	116	107	108	105	107	109	106	97	93	91	89
Thu	156	169	179	160	147	133	118	112	109	107	110	110	108	100	96	93	91
Fri	130	142	134	130	133	126	116	111	113	118	121	125	111	99	96	94	89
Sat	95	97	96	100	120	138	134	136	127	121	116	115	103	95	93	92	91
Sun	90	91	91	93	96	127	132	117	109	98	95	95	93	94	95	94	89

About this drive

On weekdays the 100-mile drive from Temecula to Santa Monica (via I-15 North and SR-60 West) usually takes as little as 89 minutes and up to 195 minutes, when leaving around 6:30 am on Mondays. The fastest times to leave are after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 110 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 9:30 am on Saturdays (140 minutes).

About 99 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.4 miles surface streets (2 to 4 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Temecula 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 Temecula to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 89 minutes then, versus up to 195 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 100-mile drive usually takes 89 to 195 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 110 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Temecula to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 6:30 am on Mondays is usually slowest, about 195 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

SR-60 West in Los Angeles (29 miles) · I-15 North in Inland Empire (22 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-15 North in Orange County (14 miles) · SR-91 West in Orange County (8 miles) · SR-71 South in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Inland Empire traffic right now · Inland Empire traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Temecula to Long Beach · Temecula to West Covina · Temecula to El Monte · Temecula to Downey · Temecula to Whittier · Temecula to Irvine · Temecula to Santa Ana · Temecula to Huntington Beach · Temecula to Riverside · Temecula to San Bernardino · Temecula to Ontario · Temecula to Pomona

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	158	189	193	167	143	137	120	107	104	104	103	104	100	96	93	91	92
Tue	150	182	174	162	142	133	117	108	104	108	112	112	106	97	95	94	89
Wed	159	172	185	164	141	134	116	107	108	105	107	109	106	97	93	91	89
Thu	156	169	179	160	147	133	118	112	109	107	110	110	108	100	96	93	91
Fri	130	142	134	130	133	126	116	111	113	118	121	125	111	99	96	94	89
Sat	95	97	96	100	120	138	134	136	127	121	116	115	103	95	93	92	91
Sun	90	91	91	93	96	127	132	117	109	98	95	95	93	94	95	94	89

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	158	189	193	167	143	137	120	107	104	104	103	104	100	96	93	91	92
Tue	150	182	174	162	142	133	117	108	104	108	112	112	106	97	95	94	89
Wed	159	172	185	164	141	134	116	107	108	105	107	109	106	97	93	91	89
Thu	156	169	179	160	147	133	118	112	109	107	110	110	108	100	96	93	91
Fri	130	142	134	130	133	126	116	111	113	118	121	125	111	99	96	94	89
Sat	95	97	96	100	120	138	134	136	127	121	116	115	103	95	93	92	91
Sun	90	91	91	93	96	127	132	117	109	98	95	95	93	94	95	94	89

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	158	189	193	167	143	137	120	107	104	104	103	104	100	96	93	91	92
Tue	150	182	174	162	142	133	117	108	104	108	112	112	106	97	95	94	89
Wed	159	172	185	164	141	134	116	107	108	105	107	109	106	97	93	91	89
Thu	156	169	179	160	147	133	118	112	109	107	110	110	108	100	96	93	91
Fri	130	142	134	130	133	126	116	111	113	118	121	125	111	99	96	94	89
Sat	95	97	96	100	120	138	134	136	127	121	116	115	103	95	93	92	91
Sun	90	91	91	93	96	127	132	117	109	98	95	95	93	94	95	94	89