Best Time to Drive from El Monte to Irvine

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 49 minutes via I-5 South and I-605 South, usually 41 at this time.

Only 38% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from El Monte to Irvine by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	42	54	60	48	41	40	40	41	41	42	43	49	42	39	39	37
Tue	37	45	61	65	53	43	42	42	42	41	45	47	51	44	41	39	38
Wed	36	45	60	65	52	45	42	42	41	42	45	47	51	45	42	40	38
Thu	37	44	60	64	54	46	45	44	44	41	43	46	50	44	40	39	38
Fri	37	43	50	51	45	42	42	41	41	45	47	46	46	44	40	39	38
Sat	38	39	39	39	41	42	44	47	44	44	43	43	42	41	39	39	38
Sun	37	38	37	38	39	39	41	41	41	41	41	40	41	40	40	41	38

About this drive

On weekdays the 37-mile drive from El Monte to Irvine (via I-5 South and I-605 South) usually takes as little as 36 minutes and up to 66 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 42 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (47 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (11 to 19 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central El Monte (Valley Boulevard) to central Irvine (Harvard Avenue) along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from El Monte to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 36 minutes then, versus up to 66 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from El Monte to Irvine?

The 37-mile drive usually takes 36 to 66 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 42 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from El Monte to Irvine?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Wednesdays is usually slowest, about 66 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (23 miles) · I-605 South in Los Angeles (6 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Irvine to El Monte (return trip) · El Monte to Los Angeles · El Monte to Santa Monica · El Monte to Pasadena · El Monte to Long Beach · El Monte to West Covina · El Monte to Burbank · El Monte to Glendale · El Monte to Santa Clarita · El Monte to Van Nuys · El Monte to Torrance · El Monte to LAX

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	42	54	60	48	41	40	40	41	41	42	43	49	42	39	39	37
Tue	37	45	61	65	53	43	42	42	42	41	45	47	51	44	41	39	38
Wed	36	45	60	65	52	45	42	42	41	42	45	47	51	45	42	40	38
Thu	37	44	60	64	54	46	45	44	44	41	43	46	50	44	40	39	38
Fri	37	43	50	51	45	42	42	41	41	45	47	46	46	44	40	39	38
Sat	38	39	39	39	41	42	44	47	44	44	43	43	42	41	39	39	38
Sun	37	38	37	38	39	39	41	41	41	41	41	40	41	40	40	41	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	42	54	60	48	41	40	40	41	41	42	43	49	42	39	39	37
Tue	37	45	61	65	53	43	42	42	42	41	45	47	51	44	41	39	38
Wed	36	45	60	65	52	45	42	42	41	42	45	47	51	45	42	40	38
Thu	37	44	60	64	54	46	45	44	44	41	43	46	50	44	40	39	38
Fri	37	43	50	51	45	42	42	41	41	45	47	46	46	44	40	39	38
Sat	38	39	39	39	41	42	44	47	44	44	43	43	42	41	39	39	38
Sun	37	38	37	38	39	39	41	41	41	41	41	40	41	40	40	41	38

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	42	54	60	48	41	40	40	41	41	42	43	49	42	39	39	37
Tue	37	45	61	65	53	43	42	42	42	41	45	47	51	44	41	39	38
Wed	36	45	60	65	52	45	42	42	41	42	45	47	51	45	42	40	38
Thu	37	44	60	64	54	46	45	44	44	41	43	46	50	44	40	39	38
Fri	37	43	50	51	45	42	42	41	41	45	47	46	46	44	40	39	38
Sat	38	39	39	39	41	42	44	47	44	44	43	43	42	41	39	39	38
Sun	37	38	37	38	39	39	41	41	41	41	41	40	41	40	40	41	38