Best Time to Drive from El Monte to Santa Ana

Right now (12:33 pm PDT): about 41 minutes via I-5 South and I-605 South, usually 34 at this time.

Only 33% 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 Santa Ana 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	30	33	43	49	39	34	33	32	34	33	35	35	38	35	32	31	30
Tue	30	35	48	52	43	35	34	35	34	34	37	38	39	36	34	32	31
Wed	30	36	47	53	43	37	34	34	34	35	37	38	40	36	35	32	30
Thu	30	34	49	52	45	38	37	36	36	34	35	37	39	35	33	32	31
Fri	30	34	39	41	36	34	34	33	34	37	39	39	37	37	33	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	33	34	36	38	35	35	36	35	35	34	32	32	31
Sun	30	31	30	31	31	32	33	33	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from El Monte to Santa Ana (via I-5 South and I-605 South) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 53 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (38 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (9 to 17 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 Santa Ana (Main Street) 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 Santa Ana?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 7:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 53 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from El Monte to Santa Ana?

The 30-mile drive usually takes 30 to 53 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from El Monte to Santa Ana?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 53 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 South in Orange County (18 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

Santa Ana 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	30	33	43	49	39	34	33	32	34	33	35	35	38	35	32	31	30
Tue	30	35	48	52	43	35	34	35	34	34	37	38	39	36	34	32	31
Wed	30	36	47	53	43	37	34	34	34	35	37	38	40	36	35	32	30
Thu	30	34	49	52	45	38	37	36	36	34	35	37	39	35	33	32	31
Fri	30	34	39	41	36	34	34	33	34	37	39	39	37	37	33	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	33	34	36	38	35	35	36	35	35	34	32	32	31
Sun	30	31	30	31	31	32	33	33	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	33	43	49	39	34	33	32	34	33	35	35	38	35	32	31	30
Tue	30	35	48	52	43	35	34	35	34	34	37	38	39	36	34	32	31
Wed	30	36	47	53	43	37	34	34	34	35	37	38	40	36	35	32	30
Thu	30	34	49	52	45	38	37	36	36	34	35	37	39	35	33	32	31
Fri	30	34	39	41	36	34	34	33	34	37	39	39	37	37	33	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	33	34	36	38	35	35	36	35	35	34	32	32	31
Sun	30	31	30	31	31	32	33	33	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	33	43	49	39	34	33	32	34	33	35	35	38	35	32	31	30
Tue	30	35	48	52	43	35	34	35	34	34	37	38	39	36	34	32	31
Wed	30	36	47	53	43	37	34	34	34	35	37	38	40	36	35	32	30
Thu	30	34	49	52	45	38	37	36	36	34	35	37	39	35	33	32	31
Fri	30	34	39	41	36	34	34	33	34	37	39	39	37	37	33	32	31
Sat	31	32	32	32	33	34	36	38	35	35	36	35	35	34	32	32	31
Sun	30	31	30	31	31	32	33	33	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	31