Best Time to Drive from Yorba Linda to Santa Monica

Right now (7:05 pm PDT): about 56 minutes via I-5 North and I-10 West and SR-91 West, usually 50 at this time.

Only 20% 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 Yorba Linda 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	46	65	69	73	65	56	55	54	53	53	55	53	53	50	46	45	44
Tue	46	67	79	81	69	60	55	53	52	52	54	54	54	51	49	46	44
Wed	46	63	74	75	66	57	54	53	51	51	57	57	57	53	48	46	45
Thu	45	65	75	77	66	59	57	54	52	53	56	58	57	53	51	47	45
Fri	45	62	60	61	59	57	57	57	58	58	61	58	60	60	53	47	45
Sat	44	46	48	49	51	54	58	56	54	52	52	53	53	51	50	48	46
Sun	44	44	44	45	47	49	51	54	53	54	53	53	53	57	56	52	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 50-mile drive from Yorba Linda to Santa Monica (via I-5 North and I-10 West and SR-91 West) usually takes as little as 44 minutes and up to 85 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 11 am on Saturdays (58 minutes).

About 49 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.2 miles surface streets (about 2 minutes), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Yorba Linda 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 Yorba Linda to Santa Monica?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 44 minutes then, versus up to 85 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Yorba Linda to Santa Monica?

The 50-mile drive usually takes 44 to 85 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Yorba Linda to Santa Monica?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 85 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 West in Los Angeles (15 miles) · SR-91 West in Orange County (14 miles) · I-5 North in Los Angeles (10 miles) · I-5 North in Orange County (10 miles)

Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow · Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Monica to Yorba Linda (return trip) · Yorba Linda to Los Angeles · Yorba Linda to Long Beach · Yorba Linda to Anaheim · Yorba Linda to Riverside · Yorba Linda to Santa Ana · Yorba Linda to Irvine · Yorba Linda to San Bernardino · Yorba Linda to Fontana · Yorba Linda to Moreno Valley · Yorba Linda to Huntington Beach · Yorba Linda 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	46	65	69	73	65	56	55	54	53	53	55	53	53	50	46	45	44
Tue	46	67	79	81	69	60	55	53	52	52	54	54	54	51	49	46	44
Wed	46	63	74	75	66	57	54	53	51	51	57	57	57	53	48	46	45
Thu	45	65	75	77	66	59	57	54	52	53	56	58	57	53	51	47	45
Fri	45	62	60	61	59	57	57	57	58	58	61	58	60	60	53	47	45
Sat	44	46	48	49	51	54	58	56	54	52	52	53	53	51	50	48	46
Sun	44	44	44	45	47	49	51	54	53	54	53	53	53	57	56	52	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	65	69	73	65	56	55	54	53	53	55	53	53	50	46	45	44
Tue	46	67	79	81	69	60	55	53	52	52	54	54	54	51	49	46	44
Wed	46	63	74	75	66	57	54	53	51	51	57	57	57	53	48	46	45
Thu	45	65	75	77	66	59	57	54	52	53	56	58	57	53	51	47	45
Fri	45	62	60	61	59	57	57	57	58	58	61	58	60	60	53	47	45
Sat	44	46	48	49	51	54	58	56	54	52	52	53	53	51	50	48	46
Sun	44	44	44	45	47	49	51	54	53	54	53	53	53	57	56	52	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	65	69	73	65	56	55	54	53	53	55	53	53	50	46	45	44
Tue	46	67	79	81	69	60	55	53	52	52	54	54	54	51	49	46	44
Wed	46	63	74	75	66	57	54	53	51	51	57	57	57	53	48	46	45
Thu	45	65	75	77	66	59	57	54	52	53	56	58	57	53	51	47	45
Fri	45	62	60	61	59	57	57	57	58	58	61	58	60	60	53	47	45
Sat	44	46	48	49	51	54	58	56	54	52	52	53	53	51	50	48	46
Sun	44	44	44	45	47	49	51	54	53	54	53	53	53	57	56	52	46