Best Time to Drive from Westminster to Santa Monica

Right now (6:17 pm PDT): about 41 minutes via I-405 North, usually 38 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 Westminster 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	35	45	56	57	51	46	43	42	42	41	41	42	43	40	37	36	35
Tue	34	48	66	68	58	50	45	43	42	41	42	43	46	43	38	36	35
Wed	35	49	67	70	62	52	46	44	42	42	43	45	48	45	38	36	35
Thu	35	49	65	67	58	51	46	44	43	43	45	47	50	46	39	36	35
Fri	34	43	54	55	51	48	48	48	47	48	48	47	47	45	40	37	35
Sat	35	35	36	37	39	42	46	49	50	51	49	49	48	45	41	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	39	41	44	47	47	46	44	43	41	39	39	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from Westminster to Santa Monica (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 71 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 44 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.7 miles surface streets (2 to 3 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Westminster 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 Westminster to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 71 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 39-mile drive usually takes 34 to 71 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 44 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Westminster to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 71 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-405 North in Los Angeles (27 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (7 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

More drives

Westminster to Los Angeles · Westminster to Anaheim · Westminster to Long Beach · Westminster to Anaheim · Westminster to Riverside

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	45	56	57	51	46	43	42	42	41	41	42	43	40	37	36	35
Tue	34	48	66	68	58	50	45	43	42	41	42	43	46	43	38	36	35
Wed	35	49	67	70	62	52	46	44	42	42	43	45	48	45	38	36	35
Thu	35	49	65	67	58	51	46	44	43	43	45	47	50	46	39	36	35
Fri	34	43	54	55	51	48	48	48	47	48	48	47	47	45	40	37	35
Sat	35	35	36	37	39	42	46	49	50	51	49	49	48	45	41	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	39	41	44	47	47	46	44	43	41	39	39	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	45	56	57	51	46	43	42	42	41	41	42	43	40	37	36	35
Tue	34	48	66	68	58	50	45	43	42	41	42	43	46	43	38	36	35
Wed	35	49	67	70	62	52	46	44	42	42	43	45	48	45	38	36	35
Thu	35	49	65	67	58	51	46	44	43	43	45	47	50	46	39	36	35
Fri	34	43	54	55	51	48	48	48	47	48	48	47	47	45	40	37	35
Sat	35	35	36	37	39	42	46	49	50	51	49	49	48	45	41	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	39	41	44	47	47	46	44	43	41	39	39	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	35	45	56	57	51	46	43	42	42	41	41	42	43	40	37	36	35
Tue	34	48	66	68	58	50	45	43	42	41	42	43	46	43	38	36	35
Wed	35	49	67	70	62	52	46	44	42	42	43	45	48	45	38	36	35
Thu	35	49	65	67	58	51	46	44	43	43	45	47	50	46	39	36	35
Fri	34	43	54	55	51	48	48	48	47	48	48	47	47	45	40	37	35
Sat	35	35	36	37	39	42	46	49	50	51	49	49	48	45	41	38	36
Sun	35	35	35	35	36	39	41	44	47	47	46	44	43	41	39	39	36