Best Time to Drive from El Monte to Simi Valley

Right now (3:20 pm PST): about 58 minutes via I-5 North and SR-118 West and I-10 West, usually 68 at this time.

Only 9% 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.

About this drive

On weekdays the 53-mile drive from El Monte to Simi Valley (via I-5 North and SR-118 West and I-10 West) usually takes as little as 48 minutes and up to 88 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 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 67 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Sundays (73 minutes).

About 52 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.1 miles surface streets (2 to 3 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 Simi Valley (3rd 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 Simi Valley?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 48 minutes then, versus up to 88 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from El Monte to Simi Valley?

The 53-mile drive usually takes 48 to 88 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 67 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from El Monte to Simi Valley?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 88 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Los Angeles (20 miles) · SR-118 West in Los Angeles (20 miles) · I-10 West in Los Angeles (12 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

El Monte to Simi Valley over Thanksgiving: when to leave →

More drives

Simi Valley 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 →