Best time to visit Santa Monica, CA, USA

Our verdict

The best time to visit Santa Monica is September-November

Are you looking for top-secret information about when to visit Santa Monica? Look no further! September-November is the best time to go to Santa Monica due to the excellent all-round climate conditions, and it’s not likely to be at its busiest as it’s not during the height of the peak travel season.

In the summer months, temperatures tend to get to a maximum of around 29℃ (84℉). The average low temperatures in winter float around 10℃ (51℉), while the coldest it gets down to is about 7℃ (44℉).

The longest days between sunrise and sunset in Santa Monica are usually in August, so if you want to get the most out of your daytime activities, be sure to plan your visit around this time. On average it rains the most days in January, making it the wettest month of the year. Although it’s the wet season, it can often rain a little bit during the day or evening but have fine weather for a majority of the day too, so don’t let this put you off.

Keep reading to find all the info you need (and none of the stuff you don’t) about the best times to go to Santa Monica. By the time you get to the bottom, you’ll be ready to start booking your trip.

Warmest month

August

Least rainfall

June

Most daylight

August

Planning a trip to
Santa Monica? →

*Support us by clicking the links above and making a booking with our partners. It's completely free for you, and it helps us make this site even more awesome! We'll <3 you for it.

Santa Monica seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Santa Monica as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Santa Monica is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Santa Monica

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Santa Monica for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Santa Monica climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Santa Monica for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Santa Monica in January

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (58℉)
  • Average high temperature: 19℃ (65℉)
  • Average low temperature: 11℃ (51℉)
  • Average humidity: 55%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 39mm (2") over 5 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in January, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Monica in February

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average high temperature: 18℃ (65℉)
  • Average low temperature: 10℃ (51℉)
  • Average humidity: 59%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 38mm (1") over 6 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
6 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in February, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Monica in March

  • Average temperature: 15℃ (58℉)
  • Average high temperature: 19℃ (67℉)
  • Average low temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average humidity: 61%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 29mm (1") over 7 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
7 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in March, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Monica in April

  • Average temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average high temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
  • Average low temperature: 12℃ (54℉)
  • Average humidity: 61%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 11mm (0") over 5 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in April, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Santa Monica in May

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average high temperature: 22℃ (71℉)
  • Average low temperature: 14℃ (56℉)
  • Average humidity: 65%
  • Average sunny days: 26 days
  • Average rainfall: 6mm (0") over 4 days
26 days
of pure sunshine
4 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in May, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Santa Monica in June

  • Average temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (74℉)
  • Average low temperature: 15℃ (58℉)
  • Average humidity: 70%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 2mm (0") over 2 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in June, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Santa Monica in July

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average high temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average low temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average humidity: 67%
  • Average sunny days: 26 days
  • Average rainfall: 5mm (0") over 3 days
26 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in July, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Santa Monica in August

  • Average temperature: 22℃ (71℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average low temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
  • Average humidity: 64%
  • Average sunny days: 28 days
  • Average rainfall: 2mm (0") over 2 days
28 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in August, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Santa Monica in September

  • Average temperature: 22℃ (71℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average low temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
  • Average humidity: 61%
  • Average sunny days: 26 days
  • Average rainfall: 4mm (0") over 3 days
26 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in September, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.

Santa Monica in October

  • Average temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average low temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average humidity: 56%
  • Average sunny days: 26 days
  • Average rainfall: 5mm (0") over 3 days
26 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in October, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Santa Monica in November

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (62℉)
  • Average high temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average low temperature: 13℃ (56℉)
  • Average humidity: 52%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 19mm (1") over 4 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
4 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in November, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Santa Monica in December

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (56℉)
  • Average high temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
  • Average low temperature: 10℃ (51℉)
  • Average humidity: 55%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 32mm (1") over 5 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Monica in December, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Santa Monica is usually August, where temperatures tend to rise to around 27℃ (80℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Santa Monica is generally around June. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in June first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Santa Monica is generally around January, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of January too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Santa Monica, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in August are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Santa Monica map