Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
14m
Distance
10.9 mi
18 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Monica, CA
Bjorn Pierre
Inglewood, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Santa Monica to Inglewood is 10.9 miles and takes about 14 minutes via the San Diego Freeway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Pacific Coast region of California, primarily utilizing major freeways to connect two distinct urban areas. Given its minimal distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick transfer between locations, whether you're heading inland from the coast or vice versa. You'll find it's a straightforward connection with minimal planning required.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Santa Monica Freeway | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| West Manchester Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| Lincoln Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South La Cienega Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Olympic Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Manchester Boulevard | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Monica, CA and Inglewood, CA.
Start on US 66 Hist
Turn left onto Olympic Boulevard
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 10
Take the exit
Merge onto I 405
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
Take the exit
Turn straight onto South La Cienega Boulevard
Turn left onto West Manchester Boulevard
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 9.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Olympic Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward I 10 East: Santa Monica Freeway, Los Angeles
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Florence Avenue, Manchester Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$2.47 one way
$4.94 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.96 | $2.56 | $5.11 |
| premium | $6.09 | $2.61 | $5.23 |
| diesel | $5.40 | $2.32 | $4.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.14 | $0.52 |
| Efficient EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.95 | $0.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.53 | $0.70 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Santa Monica on Saturday
Local time
11:08 PM
PDT
Current temp
56°F
Chance Rain Showers
Destination
Night in Inglewood on Saturday
Local time
11:08 PM
PDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This drive is mostly highway, with 77% of the route on freeway conditions. You'll experience a longest stretch of 5.6 miles on the San Diego Freeway before transitioning to surface streets like West Manchester Boulevard. Expect urban merging and dense exit patterns as you navigate this relatively short distance. The shift from freeway to boulevard will be noticeable as you approach your destination.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on San Diego Freeway and Santa Monica Freeway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near Olympic Boulevard.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 10.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Olympic Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Founded 1769
Anchoring the Westside of Los Angeles County, Santa Monica is a beachfront city popular with tourists for its expansive beach and its famous pier, which are among the most popular coastal attractions in Southern California. Within the city, visitors will find a number of urban shopping districts and plenty of restaurants and nightlife.
Top landmarks
Founded 1888
Inglewood is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California. Sandwiched between South Los Angeles and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), it is a somewhat impoverished area. Though there isn't much for a tourist to see other than sporting events, there are some excellent eats here and a number of chain motels taking advantage of the city's proximity to LAX. Inglewood is the location of the SoFi Stadium (football, World Cup, Olympics), Intuit Dome (basketball, Olympics) and Kia Forum (concerts).
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 14m. Total distance: 10.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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