Origin
Santa Monica, CA
Late night in Santa Monica on Tuesday
Local time
2:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Santa Monica, CA to Torrance, CA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
19.7 mi
32 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Santa Monica, CA
Bjorn Pierre
Torrance, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 20.5-mile drive from Santa Monica to Torrance is a straightforward local journey, estimated to take about 27 minutes without significant traffic. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays and carrying a modest fuel cost of around $5. The route primarily utilizes Olympic Boulevard and stretches of the I-10 East, known locally as the Santa Monica Freeway. Given its short distance and urban setting, this trip is best suited for those looking for a quick connection between two points within the Pacific Coast region of California, rather than an extensive scenic exploration.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Freeway | 12.3 mi | 14m |
| Santa Monica Freeway | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| Prairie Avenue | 2 mi | 3m |
| Madrona Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Lincoln Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Torrance Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Redondo Beach Boulevard | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Olympic Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
San Diego Freeway
— 12.3 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Santa Monica, CA and Torrance, CA.
1
Start on US 66 Hist
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lincoln Boulevard
2
Turn left onto Olympic Boulevard
367 ft
·
9 sec
·
Olympic Boulevard
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward I 10 East: Santa Monica Freeway, Los Angeles
4
Merge onto I 10
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Santa Monica Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 3B
Toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Use the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto I 405
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405
8.7 mi
·
10 min
·
San Diego Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 40B
Toward Redondo Beach Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on this road
163 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
Use the left / right lanes.
10
Turn left onto Redondo Beach Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Redondo Beach Boulevard
Use the left / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto Prairie Avenue
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Prairie Avenue
Use the right lane.
12
Continue on Madrona Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Madrona Avenue
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto Torrance Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Torrance Boulevard
14
Turn right onto Maple Avenue
300 ft
·
11 sec
·
Maple Avenue
15
Turn right onto Opal Street
206 ft
·
9 sec
·
Opal Street
16
Arrive at destination
Opal Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 3.6 and 16.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
3.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit toward I 405 South: Long Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 3B
Toward I 405 South: Long Beach
6
7.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 405 / San Diego Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
16.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward Redondo Beach Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 40B
Toward Redondo Beach Boulevard
6
16.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Redondo Beach Boulevard
Turn left onto Redondo Beach Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
6
16.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Prairie Avenue
Turn right onto Prairie Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.53 one way
$9.06 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $4.67 | $9.33 |
| premium | $6.18 | $4.79 | $9.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.35 | $8.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Torrance, CA
Late night in Torrance on Tuesday
Local time
2:20 AM
PDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
10 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
27m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, characterized by frequent intersections and city street navigation rather than long highway stretches. With a highway share of 0%, you'll be navigating through the heart of the urban landscape for the entire 20.5 miles. There isn't a 'longest stretch' of uninterrupted driving in the traditional sense due to the nature of the local roads. The journey will feel like a typical city commute, requiring constant attention to traffic signals and local road conditions as you progress from the coast towards Torrance.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.3 mi on San Diego Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 3.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 19.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.4 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Santa Monica, CA
Full guide →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
- • Santa Monica Pier — Pier in Santa Monica, California, USA
- • Muscle Beach — outdoor acrobatics and gymnastics platform
- • Pacific Park — amusement park in Santa Monica, California, United States
Arriving in Torrance, CA
Full guide →Torrance is a city in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, in Southern California. Even though it is one of the larger suburbs of Los Angeles (147,000 residents in 2020), it is overlooked by the throngs of tourists that visit LA. Torrance is often called "Japan's 48th Prefecture" due to its large Japanese population, and large Korean and other immigrant populations give the city a very global feel. Visitors wanting a quieter Los Angeles experience will do well to visit Torrance.
Top landmarks
- • Western Museum of Flight — aviation museum in Torrance, California
- • Toyota USA Automobile Museum — automobile museum in Torrance, California
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 19.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.3 miles on San Diego Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Torrance, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.4 miles (I 405 / San Diego Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Torrance, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
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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