Santa Monica to Los Angeles (SMO–LAX) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

SMO Airport Page →
6 mi airlines charter/private
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 1 1-stop flight Verified 1mo ago
Charter / private route. No scheduled airline service — operated by NetJets Aviation.
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 1 hub
LAS Las Vegas 3h 9m EJAXE AAACAF Las Vegas (LAS) to Los Angeles flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Santa Monica to Los Angeles
Flown by charter / private operators — no scheduled airline service.
6 mi

SMO–LAX has no scheduled airline service; it is flown by charter / private operators. 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Connection Landscape

1-stop and 2-stop options for SMO to LAX.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
1
Hubs
~3h
Fastest
~3h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
100
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

On-Time Performance

What to expect at each end of your journey.
Outbound
SMO → LAX
96%
Generally reliable. Most flights run on time.
Arriving
96%
Return
LAX → SMO
50%
Frequent delays expected. Consider flexible booking.
Departing
50%
OTP = percentage of flights arriving within 15 min of schedule. Based on airport-level delay snapshots. LAX delays →

Other ways to reach Los Angeles from Santa Monica

Nearby airports with service to Los Angeles International Airport.
Metric SMO→LAX HHR→LAX BUR→LAX
Distance from SMO 9 mi 14 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 5
Weekly flights 1 1
Airports within 200 miles of SMO with service to Los Angeles International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
0h
Los Angeles is 0 hours the same as Santa Monica.
SMO: PDT · LAX: PDT

When it's 6:00 PM in Santa Monica, it's 6:00 PM in Los Angeles.
Distance & Flight Time
6 mi / 9 km
Getting from LAX

LAX has no direct rail link to downtown. The closest option is the free LAX Shuttle G to the Metro C Line station at Aviation/Century Blvd (fare $1.75 to Union Station, 40–50 min). Taxis use a meter; expect $35–55 to downtown and $30–45 to Santa Monica. Ride-shares cost $20–45 depending on destination and surge pricing.Rental car facilities are a short shuttle ride from terminals. FlyAway buses run to Union Station, Van Nuys, Hollywood, and Westwood ($9.75–11.25). For LAX Connect (the new people mover to Inglewood), check if it has opened at time of travel.

Los Angeles Climate

Mediterranean climate. Summers are warm and dry (24–30°C) with low humidity and almost no rain. Winters are mild (10–18°C) with occasional rain from November through March. Fog ("June Gloom") is common from late May through July, blanketing mornings until noon and causing departure delays.

Santa Ana winds occur in fall and spring, sometimes grounding departures briefly. Heat waves in September–October can push temperatures above 38°C inland, though LAX itself stays cooler near the coast.

SMO–LAX Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Santa Monica to Los Angeles route.
Route details
Distance6 mi / 9 km
Time difference0 hours
Airlines (nonstop)Charter / private
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: SMO
IATA / ICAOSMO / KSMO
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Elevation170 ft / 52 m
Destination: LAX
IATA / ICAOLAX / KLAX
TimezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Passengers/yr76.6M
Elevation125 ft / 38 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SMO to LAX flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Harry Reid.
On a single ticket, yes. Your bags are checked through to LAX and move between planes without you. On two separate tickets you collect your bags at the connecting airport and recheck them, so build in extra layover time.
Yes, return flights from LAX to SMO are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include HHR, BUR and LGB. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
See the On-Time Performance section for the latest delay data at both airports. This shows departure and arrival reliability to help you plan.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Harry Reid. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Hawthorne (HHR), Burbank (BUR) and Long Beach (LGB).