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SMO to LAX: distance & flight time
Santa Monica (Santa Monica Municipal Airport) → Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport)
6 mi
9 km · 5 nm
29m
estimated nonstop flight time
Same time
time difference · heading southeast
See live SMO→LAX fares Phone-only fares on this route — call free
Flight time details
6 miles nonstop takes roughly 29m gate to gate, flying southeast. Add 45–90 minutes per connection if there's no nonstop service. Both airports share the same local time, so schedules read exactly as flown.
The two airports
- SMO — Santa Monica Municipal Airport · Santa Monica, United States
- LAX — Los Angeles International Airport · Los Angeles, United States
Distances are great-circle ("as the crow flies") — the same basis airlines use for frequent-flyer miles.
Alternate airports can cut this fare
Flying from or into a nearby airport is the #1 trick our agents use to beat online prices. Call and we'll compare every combination on one call.
Near SMO
- LAX · Los Angeles International Airport6 mi away
- HHR · Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport9 mi away
- BUR · Bob Hope Airport14 mi away
- VNY · Van Nuys Airport14 mi away
Near LAX
- HHR · Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport4 mi away
- SMO · Santa Monica Municipal Airport6 mi away
- TOA · Zamperini Field10 mi away
- LGB · Long Beach /Daugherty Field/ Airport17 mi away
Frequently asked questions
How far is SMO from LAX?
The flight distance from Santa Monica (SMO) to Los Angeles (LAX) is 6 miles (9 km, 5 nautical miles), measured along the great-circle route airlines actually fly.
How long is the flight from SMO to LAX?
A nonstop flight takes about 29m gate to gate. Actual time varies with winds, routing and season — eastbound transatlantic flights, for example, are usually faster than the return.
What is the cheapest way to fly from SMO to LAX?
Compare live fares online, then call CheapoTrav — our agents have unpublished consolidator fares on SMO–LAX that never appear on search engines, with no booking fees.