Best Time to Drive from Whittier to Santa Monica

Right now (10:18 am PDT): about 57 minutes via I-10 West and I-5 North, usually 53 at this time.

Only 5% 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 Whittier 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	37	63	62	67	53	47	52	53	56	48	62	62	62	59	57	37	35
Tue	35	55	71	78	59	51	45	49	47	54	62	60	59	59	58	48	34
Wed	35	54	76	81	60	48	46	46	45	60	62	59	59	58	59	44	34
Thu	34	53	67	78	58	53	55	53	59	53	61	61	62	60	59	44	38
Fri	35	50	58	68	61	52	51	53	60	66	65	64	64	64	62	53	36
Sat	34	35	38	39	46	51	58	58	55	59	65	65	58	54	49	45	40
Sun	34	33	34	34	36	42	44	53	52	57	57	55	55	54	52	51	39

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Whittier to Santa Monica (via I-10 West and I-5 North) usually takes as little as 34 minutes and up to 84 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 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 52 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (65 minutes).

About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 9 miles surface streets (16 to 41 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Whittier (Painter 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 Whittier to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 34 minutes then, versus up to 84 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 34 to 84 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 52 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Whittier to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 84 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (5 miles) · SR-60 West in Los Angeles (1.7 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to Whittier (return trip) · Whittier to Long Beach · Whittier to West Covina · Whittier to Burbank · Whittier to Santa Clarita · Whittier to Van Nuys · Whittier to Torrance · Whittier to LAX · Whittier to Culver City · Whittier to Thousand Oaks · Whittier to Oxnard · Whittier to Irvine

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	63	62	67	53	47	52	53	56	48	62	62	62	59	57	37	35
Tue	35	55	71	78	59	51	45	49	47	54	62	60	59	59	58	48	34
Wed	35	54	76	81	60	48	46	46	45	60	62	59	59	58	59	44	34
Thu	34	53	67	78	58	53	55	53	59	53	61	61	62	60	59	44	38
Fri	35	50	58	68	61	52	51	53	60	66	65	64	64	64	62	53	36
Sat	34	35	38	39	46	51	58	58	55	59	65	65	58	54	49	45	40
Sun	34	33	34	34	36	42	44	53	52	57	57	55	55	54	52	51	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	63	62	67	53	47	52	53	56	48	62	62	62	59	57	37	35
Tue	35	55	71	78	59	51	45	49	47	54	62	60	59	59	58	48	34
Wed	35	54	76	81	60	48	46	46	45	60	62	59	59	58	59	44	34
Thu	34	53	67	78	58	53	55	53	59	53	61	61	62	60	59	44	38
Fri	35	50	58	68	61	52	51	53	60	66	65	64	64	64	62	53	36
Sat	34	35	38	39	46	51	58	58	55	59	65	65	58	54	49	45	40
Sun	34	33	34	34	36	42	44	53	52	57	57	55	55	54	52	51	39

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	63	62	67	53	47	52	53	56	48	62	62	62	59	57	37	35
Tue	35	55	71	78	59	51	45	49	47	54	62	60	59	59	58	48	34
Wed	35	54	76	81	60	48	46	46	45	60	62	59	59	58	59	44	34
Thu	34	53	67	78	58	53	55	53	59	53	61	61	62	60	59	44	38
Fri	35	50	58	68	61	52	51	53	60	66	65	64	64	64	62	53	36
Sat	34	35	38	39	46	51	58	58	55	59	65	65	58	54	49	45	40
Sun	34	33	34	34	36	42	44	53	52	57	57	55	55	54	52	51	39