Best Time to Drive from Northridge to El Monte

Right now (8:52 pm PDT): about 40 minutes via I-10 East and I-5 South, usually 38 at this time.

Only 14% 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 Northridge to El Monte 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	43	47	50	51	50	50	52	56	68	88	91	91	75	59	42	38
Tue	37	43	48	52	54	54	51	52	55	78	99	95	97	83	63	46	38
Wed	37	42	48	55	53	52	52	52	58	75	91	100	104	83	61	49	39
Thu	37	42	48	52	54	51	50	52	60	84	103	110	103	85	70	53	40
Fri	37	42	46	52	51	50	53	68	77	89	103	98	97	84	66	53	40
Sat	38	38	39	40	45	48	52	53	66	70	71	65	64	61	55	50	41
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	42	47	50	52	53	57	58	56	55	49	48	41

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Northridge to El Monte (via I-10 East and I-5 South) usually takes as little as 37 minutes and up to 110 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 1:30 pm on Saturdays (71 minutes).

About 34 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (7 to 21 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Northridge to central El Monte 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 Northridge to El Monte?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 37 minutes then, versus up to 110 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 37 to 110 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 61 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Northridge to El Monte?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 110 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-10 East in Los Angeles (11 miles) · I-5 South in Los Angeles (8 miles) · US-101 South in Los Angeles (6 miles) · SR-134 East in Los Angeles (5 miles) · I-405 South in Los Angeles (4 miles)

Los Angeles traffic right now · Los Angeles traffic tomorrow

More drives

El Monte to Northridge (return trip) · Northridge to Los Angeles · Northridge to Rancho Cucamonga · Northridge to Long Beach · Northridge to Anaheim · Northridge to Riverside · Northridge to Santa Ana · Northridge to Irvine · Northridge to Fontana · Northridge to Oxnard · Northridge to Huntington Beach · Northridge to Glendale

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	43	47	50	51	50	50	52	56	68	88	91	91	75	59	42	38
Tue	37	43	48	52	54	54	51	52	55	78	99	95	97	83	63	46	38
Wed	37	42	48	55	53	52	52	52	58	75	91	100	104	83	61	49	39
Thu	37	42	48	52	54	51	50	52	60	84	103	110	103	85	70	53	40
Fri	37	42	46	52	51	50	53	68	77	89	103	98	97	84	66	53	40
Sat	38	38	39	40	45	48	52	53	66	70	71	65	64	61	55	50	41
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	42	47	50	52	53	57	58	56	55	49	48	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	43	47	50	51	50	50	52	56	68	88	91	91	75	59	42	38
Tue	37	43	48	52	54	54	51	52	55	78	99	95	97	83	63	46	38
Wed	37	42	48	55	53	52	52	52	58	75	91	100	104	83	61	49	39
Thu	37	42	48	52	54	51	50	52	60	84	103	110	103	85	70	53	40
Fri	37	42	46	52	51	50	53	68	77	89	103	98	97	84	66	53	40
Sat	38	38	39	40	45	48	52	53	66	70	71	65	64	61	55	50	41
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	42	47	50	52	53	57	58	56	55	49	48	41

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	37	43	47	50	51	50	50	52	56	68	88	91	91	75	59	42	38
Tue	37	43	48	52	54	54	51	52	55	78	99	95	97	83	63	46	38
Wed	37	42	48	55	53	52	52	52	58	75	91	100	104	83	61	49	39
Thu	37	42	48	52	54	51	50	52	60	84	103	110	103	85	70	53	40
Fri	37	42	46	52	51	50	53	68	77	89	103	98	97	84	66	53	40
Sat	38	38	39	40	45	48	52	53	66	70	71	65	64	61	55	50	41
Sun	38	38	38	38	39	42	47	50	52	53	57	58	56	55	49	48	41