Best Time to Drive from Westminster to Santa Monica

Right now (7:20 pm PST): about 41 minutes via I-405 North, usually 43 at this time.

Only 6% 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	33	56	98	85	79	69	57	55	51	44	44	40	42	40	37	37	35
Tue	33	75	153	131	104	87	71	53	49	44	42	42	48	49	37	37	35
Wed	34	73	163	141	107	85	67	56	51	46	46	46	48	49	38	38	35
Thu	33	73	143	121	93	87	67	57	49	49	46	45	49	46	38	37	35
Fri	33	71	126	93	74	63	76	66	57	53	46	42	35	38	38	38	35
Sat	36	36	37	39	42	50	62	59	68	69	59	55	52	44	48	41	36
Sun	36	36	38	37	38	39	48	56	78	74	70	49	45	40	43	44	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 39-mile drive from Westminster to Santa Monica (via I-405 North) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 163 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 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (79 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 4 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 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 163 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 39-mile drive usually takes 33 to 163 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Westminster to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 163 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

Santa Monica to Westminster (return trip) · Westminster to Los Angeles · Westminster to Anaheim · Westminster to Long Beach · Westminster to Anaheim · Westminster to Riverside · Westminster to Santa Ana · Westminster to Irvine · Westminster to San Bernardino · Westminster to Fontana · Westminster to Moreno Valley · Westminster 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	33	56	98	85	79	69	57	55	51	44	44	40	42	40	37	37	35
Tue	33	75	153	131	104	87	71	53	49	44	42	42	48	49	37	37	35
Wed	34	73	163	141	107	85	67	56	51	46	46	46	48	49	38	38	35
Thu	33	73	143	121	93	87	67	57	49	49	46	45	49	46	38	37	35
Fri	33	71	126	93	74	63	76	66	57	53	46	42	35	38	38	38	35
Sat	36	36	37	39	42	50	62	59	68	69	59	55	52	44	48	41	36
Sun	36	36	38	37	38	39	48	56	78	74	70	49	45	40	43	44	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	56	98	85	79	69	57	55	51	44	44	40	42	40	37	37	35
Tue	33	75	153	131	104	87	71	53	49	44	42	42	48	49	37	37	35
Wed	34	73	163	141	107	85	67	56	51	46	46	46	48	49	38	38	35
Thu	33	73	143	121	93	87	67	57	49	49	46	45	49	46	38	37	35
Fri	33	71	126	93	74	63	76	66	57	53	46	42	35	38	38	38	35
Sat	36	36	37	39	42	50	62	59	68	69	59	55	52	44	48	41	36
Sun	36	36	38	37	38	39	48	56	78	74	70	49	45	40	43	44	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	56	98	85	79	69	57	55	51	44	44	40	42	40	37	37	35
Tue	33	75	153	131	104	87	71	53	49	44	42	42	48	49	37	37	35
Wed	34	73	163	141	107	85	67	56	51	46	46	46	48	49	38	38	35
Thu	33	73	143	121	93	87	67	57	49	49	46	45	49	46	38	37	35
Fri	33	71	126	93	74	63	76	66	57	53	46	42	35	38	38	38	35
Sat	36	36	37	39	42	50	62	59	68	69	59	55	52	44	48	41	36
Sun	36	36	38	37	38	39	48	56	78	74	70	49	45	40	43	44	35