Best Time to Drive from El Monte to Santa Clarita

Right now (5:05 pm PDT): about 64 minutes via I-5 North and I-10 West, usually 63 at this time.

Only 16% 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 Clarita 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	42	52	65	71	71	65	61	62	61	63	65	69	69	59	52	45	42
Tue	42	52	65	69	72	69	64	61	57	61	66	74	72	60	56	49	43
Wed	41	51	62	68	72	69	64	61	59	61	65	74	72	61	58	50	43
Thu	42	51	62	67	73	67	63	61	61	63	67	76	74	61	58	53	43
Fri	42	50	59	66	68	62	61	60	62	62	64	67	63	58	57	55	44
Sat	42	43	44	46	54	61	68	66	67	66	66	66	63	63	65	58	45
Sun	42	42	42	42	43	46	54	58	64	63	66	66	61	61	61	58	45

About this drive

On weekdays the 45-mile drive from El Monte to Santa Clarita (via I-5 North and I-10 West) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 76 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 61 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (69 minutes).

About 41 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (5 to 10 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 Clarita (Newhall 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 Santa Clarita?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 76 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 45-mile drive usually takes 41 to 76 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from El Monte to Santa Clarita?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 76 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (29 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (12 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

Santa Clarita 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 Van Nuys · El Monte to Torrance · El Monte to LAX · El Monte to Hollywood

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	52	65	71	71	65	61	62	61	63	65	69	69	59	52	45	42
Tue	42	52	65	69	72	69	64	61	57	61	66	74	72	60	56	49	43
Wed	41	51	62	68	72	69	64	61	59	61	65	74	72	61	58	50	43
Thu	42	51	62	67	73	67	63	61	61	63	67	76	74	61	58	53	43
Fri	42	50	59	66	68	62	61	60	62	62	64	67	63	58	57	55	44
Sat	42	43	44	46	54	61	68	66	67	66	66	66	63	63	65	58	45
Sun	42	42	42	42	43	46	54	58	64	63	66	66	61	61	61	58	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	52	65	71	71	65	61	62	61	63	65	69	69	59	52	45	42
Tue	42	52	65	69	72	69	64	61	57	61	66	74	72	60	56	49	43
Wed	41	51	62	68	72	69	64	61	59	61	65	74	72	61	58	50	43
Thu	42	51	62	67	73	67	63	61	61	63	67	76	74	61	58	53	43
Fri	42	50	59	66	68	62	61	60	62	62	64	67	63	58	57	55	44
Sat	42	43	44	46	54	61	68	66	67	66	66	66	63	63	65	58	45
Sun	42	42	42	42	43	46	54	58	64	63	66	66	61	61	61	58	45

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	42	52	65	71	71	65	61	62	61	63	65	69	69	59	52	45	42
Tue	42	52	65	69	72	69	64	61	57	61	66	74	72	60	56	49	43
Wed	41	51	62	68	72	69	64	61	59	61	65	74	72	61	58	50	43
Thu	42	51	62	67	73	67	63	61	61	63	67	76	74	61	58	53	43
Fri	42	50	59	66	68	62	61	60	62	62	64	67	63	58	57	55	44
Sat	42	43	44	46	54	61	68	66	67	66	66	66	63	63	65	58	45
Sun	42	42	42	42	43	46	54	58	64	63	66	66	61	61	61	58	45