Best Time to Drive from Whittier to Santa Monica

Right now (11:21 am PST): about 54 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	57	63	68	54	46	53	53	56	47	62	62	61	59	57	37	35
Tue	34	53	72	77	55	49	46	47	47	57	61	60	58	59	59	48	35
Wed	35	48	66	71	55	47	46	45	44	52	56	59	58	53	55	43	36
Thu	34	50	65	73	55	51	54	52	58	53	61	61	61	60	59	45	37
Fri	35	48	56	61	57	51	49	53	60	65	64	63	62	62	61	51	37
Sat	34	34	37	38	45	51	58	56	55	53	62	59	54	54	50	45	41
Sun	34	34	34	34	36	42	44	53	53	57	56	55	56	60	58	50	40

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 79 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. 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 (62 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 40 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 79 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 79 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 Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 79 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	57	63	68	54	46	53	53	56	47	62	62	61	59	57	37	35
Tue	34	53	72	77	55	49	46	47	47	57	61	60	58	59	59	48	35
Wed	35	48	66	71	55	47	46	45	44	52	56	59	58	53	55	43	36
Thu	34	50	65	73	55	51	54	52	58	53	61	61	61	60	59	45	37
Fri	35	48	56	61	57	51	49	53	60	65	64	63	62	62	61	51	37
Sat	34	34	37	38	45	51	58	56	55	53	62	59	54	54	50	45	41
Sun	34	34	34	34	36	42	44	53	53	57	56	55	56	60	58	50	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	57	63	68	54	46	53	53	56	47	62	62	61	59	57	37	35
Tue	34	53	72	77	55	49	46	47	47	57	61	60	58	59	59	48	35
Wed	35	48	66	71	55	47	46	45	44	52	56	59	58	53	55	43	36
Thu	34	50	65	73	55	51	54	52	58	53	61	61	61	60	59	45	37
Fri	35	48	56	61	57	51	49	53	60	65	64	63	62	62	61	51	37
Sat	34	34	37	38	45	51	58	56	55	53	62	59	54	54	50	45	41
Sun	34	34	34	34	36	42	44	53	53	57	56	55	56	60	58	50	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	57	63	68	54	46	53	53	56	47	62	62	61	59	57	37	35
Tue	34	53	72	77	55	49	46	47	47	57	61	60	58	59	59	48	35
Wed	35	48	66	71	55	47	46	45	44	52	56	59	58	53	55	43	36
Thu	34	50	65	73	55	51	54	52	58	53	61	61	61	60	59	45	37
Fri	35	48	56	61	57	51	49	53	60	65	64	63	62	62	61	51	37
Sat	34	34	37	38	45	51	58	56	55	53	62	59	54	54	50	45	41
Sun	34	34	34	34	36	42	44	53	53	57	56	55	56	60	58	50	40